The Nurse

Last week Wednesday I was on my daily walk, when about half-way through I started getting a great deal of drainage in my throat.  Some drainage, or a good bit, is not unusual for me with the sinus issues I possess, but this was, even for me, excessive.  I completed my walk and headed to a meeting early that afternoon where the drainage and coughing continued.  I then made my way to yet another meeting, and the same occurred.  I got home, and flushed my nose, but the drainage continued.  NyQuill that evening helped subside the coughing.  For the past month I had been flushing my nose daily, but felt good that morning so I skipped the flushing.  

Flu bug

Thursday morning I woke with the drainage and cough and of course went to work, thinking that I came down with a cold.  Now, my wife had been suffering with what was aches and pains the prior weekend, and even stayed home from work Monday.  I asked if she thought she had the flu and should call the doctor. She declined, saying they would not tell her to do anything different.  Well, she probably the flu, but she assured me she was keeping things clean, following up her trips to the bathroom or other areas of the house with a disinfectant spray and use of hand sanitizer.  Thursday, while at work, I felt so bad that I did not even do my daily walk.    Of course, as I left for work that Thursday my wife said to make sure to take a decongestant.  I noted I had a few at work, and would do so when I arrived. Later in the day I receive a text from her asking if I had taken my decongestant.  I said, I just had.  If you know my wife, you can imagine the follow-up texts.  She did admit, that I had her head shacking and I suspect suppressing a laugh with one response I gave--in one text she said something about me not following her directions to which  I followed up with "I know."  She quickly texted back and said that is the response she gets from our youngest son.  

CDC map on the Spread of Flu in first week of Jan.

At the conclusion of the day I headed home.  As I was leaving a co-worker, knowing my wife is a nurse, said, "I hope Toni takes good care of you."  I noted, oh she might, but I will have to wait for her diatribe about me not her following directions to be over first.  Yes the diatribe did occur.  If I thought her texts were forthcoming, the verbal barrage was even worse. For some reason, I don't think she would be quite as harsh on her own child.  Although, he may have a different opinion.  On Friday, I felt sufficiently ill to stay home from work.  My wife was called early in the morning by her boss to see if she could come in early to replace a person who was ill, but she declined saying something to the effect that: "my husband is ill" and without saying, but the clear connotation being "and you know what that means."  It seems that her boss immediately understood and concurred with her comment, the full connotation and all.  Is this an unwritten code among nurses?  Or, perhaps a look into a nurturing attitude that goes beyond the verbal barrage of not following her orders?   I had told my wife that I can take care of myself and she should go in early.  My wife had to point out that of the three main nurses who work for the district (one as a sub) all have husband's named Tom.  Her intent being that we are all alike.  One of those Tom's is a pediatrician.  I like to think I am in good company.  After she left, I went to bed and was about asleep, until I was disturbed by one and then two more times the phone ringing.    After having some lunch I went back to bed to get some rest, but had a restless time as the chills set in.  I was too weak to even want to turn around in the bed to try and blow my nose.  I was taking medication, but it was not doing much good.  That is when my wife arrived home, and came to the rescue supplanting my use of one fever reducer by introducing half-way through a different fever reducer.  Even with the first reducer being taken at 1 pm., I had a fever of 102 at 3:30 pm.  She then ordered me to call the doctor and late in the afternoon they provided a prescription for Tamiflu.  Up until that Friday afternoon, I thought it was a bad cold. I have an aversion to medications, and would never have thought of adding a second type of fever reducer half-way through.  I have come to realize, that sometimes medication does help.

Guesswork?

My own duty nurse in my wife has helped me in other ways.  She heated water and dropped in some essential oils to assist with breathing and my poor sinus situation.  She also made an essential oil mix for me to apply to my sinus areas, and while it may not work, I figure it cannot hurt.  My spouse is a no nonsense sort of person.  However, what occurred to both of us, if at age 60 and in decent health otherwise, we  are affected this much by the flu, what is it like for those that are older or in poor health?  It must be trying.  We both had our flu shot, but the flu going around is apparently different that what was derived for the shot.  The flu's all originate in China or Southeast Asia, and detective and guess work attempts to figure out which one will become prevalent and the flu shot is devised for that strain.  I cannot recall ever having had the flu before, but perhaps I did as a child.  I am just glad my wife was around to help me through Friday afternoon and evening.