How to Survive the Flu

The first time I thought the flu was done, I went back to eating solid foods too soon and suffered a relapse. Lesson learned. After another long night of nausea and diarrhea, I called the doctor the following morning to ask what was happening. "Oh, yeah," he advised. "Your body can't digest the food. So it just sits there, making you sick."

The effects of the flu vary from person to person. My daughter had a flu two weeks prior to my case, but hers manifested itself in aches, pains and fatigue. My wife now has what I had, only hers is causing sinus headache that may lead to a cold. Flu is an absolutely unpredictable illness.

Mine was virulent and came on suddenly. One minute I was fine at work, the next minute my body and brain felt agitated. At first I was in denial. I'd hardly been anywhere with people. Instead I suspected a slice of pecan pie snatched from a plate at work. Had it gone bad? Or were there flu bugs resting in that pie?

At any rate, I knew something bad was coming on, so I left work and went home. No fair infecting everyone else in the office, after all. There are no heroes when it comes to hanging through work when you have the flu.

By the time I drove home 7 miles the flu symptoms had gotten worse; upset stomach, achiness, a grinding headache and finally, a building case of nausea that led to throwing up again and again. Then, the worst: a case dry heaves. During all this I simply told my wife it was better to leave me alone and just check in once an hour. There's really not much you can do to make a person going through the flu to make them feel any better.

When the flu first takes hold, it often feels like the virus is trying to hollow you out. Often it is waiting for these effects to kick in that is the worst part, especially nausea.

Going to the bathroom frequently at home is usually no big deal if you take care to clean yourself well and not be too abrasive with the toilet paper. Often it helps to have available some lanolin or other soothing ointment to pat on the tender parts. Flu toileting can be acidic or caustic and our most intimate body tissues react poorly to the bacteria in liquid stool. So you deal with the butt-work as best you can

Okay, okay. This gets a little gritty. But I'm just trying to help here. I was sick a lot as a kid. Seems like I always had the flu for Christmas, too. My brothers would play with all my toys until the batteries were dead. I'd finally recover from being sick and none of my toys would work. Talk about a double Christmas whammy.

Now, here's how to handle the nausea and throwing up.

I've long preferred to use a plastic wastebasket. Preferably something oval on the ends, or with straight sides and rounded ends. This makes barf disposal a little easier. Circular baskets just don't concentrate the stuff as well. You wind up worrying more about the spills and other disasters when what you need to do is get it over with and get back to bed. Small wastebaskets work great because you can pop them under the tub faucet and clean them quickly even when you feel like hell. Take it from me, cleanup's a little easier when you go plastic and go oval.

Obviously children often need considerable help getting through anything like the flu. I've often said I knew I was a real dad the first time one of my children barfed down the front of my pajamas and I didn't flinch. You just have to deal with it and avoid as best you can getting sick yourself.

Adults, however, can often manage much of the process themselves. You may feel miserable, weak and dizzy. You may struggle to balance things out when letting it rip from both ends, but you can do it. You might spare your significant others a case of the flu if they're not exposed to the side effects.

I chose to sleep in a separate bedroom a couple nights. If nothing else, the healthy spouse or partner should sleep on the couch. Flu flies around the air and virus collects on surfaces where contact can transmit the virus. Lysol is an effective tool for cleanup. The person doing the cleaning should wash their hands thoroughly afterwards. It might not even hurt to wear a mask if you're really paranoid. If you want to avoid feeling like hell, a little paranoid preparation is a good thing.

And speaking of prevention: The decision on whether or not to get a flu shot is still not entirely clear for many people. Some studies show problematic effects from flu shots. There have been cases where children suffered dire effects. Adults too. If a flu shot seems to have worked for you in the past, more power to you. I've gotten flu shots and did not contract the flu that year. This year, I forgot. Those choices make for a separate article. I'm just trying to help you make smart, quick choices when you or someone you know gets the flu and has to deal with it.

But speaking of treatments, I also do not really know how flu treatment products like Tamiflu could work. My doctor told me that Tamiflu would not have worked on the flu I recently contracted. Plus you need a prescription. Often you don't know whether you're really getting the flu. Then the harsh symptoms come on an it is too difficult to get out and get the medicine if you're on your own. Half the time the appointment to see a doctor and get a prescription takes a day or so. According to the Tamiflu website, you have 48 hours to take Tamiflu to help fight the virus. The medicine is designed to stop the flu "bug" from spreading within your system. It seems to me that by the time you get Tamiflu, half the time it might already be too late.

In the meantime, let's get back to work dealing with effects of the flu.

One of the big risks in chronic flu is dehydration. Once a patient has evacuated for several hours, loss of fluids is a problem. When nausea prevents the patient from drinking, it can be a challenge to restore fluid to the system. This is the crucial stage of flu management. Go slow, but crushed ice can help dispense fluids slowly at first. One or two small ice chips can help the patient manage their fluid intake, plus it often helps to have something cool and clean feeling in the mouth. If nausea comes on immediately, then back off. Introducing fluids as soon as possible after violent flu is important.

Dehydration can lead to temperature spikes. Flu that includes fever often sees temperatures rise over 100 degrees. Often the patient feels cold, has chills or shakes during this phase. The danger range for most people starts at 102 degrees. You should always be in touch with a doctor in the event of fever. There are so many easy-to-use thermometers these days, there is no excuse for not having one in the house. Families with children absolutely must have a working thermometer available to monitor a child's health.

If a patient gets delirious or fever spikes, it is more than wise to get the person to an urgent care center, doctor's office or emergency room.

If fever strikes and the patient can manage to swallow medicine, it is best to get a recommendation of what type of pain reliever is best for the child. Again, a doctor's advice on this choice is irreplaceable. Adults should us their favored pain reliever, one with which they have had previous success. Experimenting with new medicines when you have the flu is not a good idea. I've always been an Advil guy, but many people prefer Tylenol. All brands of pain relievers have risks, and some are not recommended for children because of potential side effects. Consult with your doctor on these matters.

Once you have emerged safely from the "worst" effects of the flu, which usually last from 6-12 hours at most, it is important to get rest and avoid pushing your body in ways that could lead to relapse. Once the flu has run its first course, your body is in a battle to fight off the remaining virus. Fatigue and stress give the virus and upper hand. You can go back into illness quickly if you don't force yourself to chill out.

Contact your employer and explain your situation clearly if you worry about returning to work. Coming back too soon can lead to a dragging case of fatigue and repeat bouts of the flu. It is better to spend four days away from work than to lose 8 total days due to relapse.

Once your body starts feeling better, introduce healthy liquids. Frankly, there still is no better transition food than good old chicken soup. This round of flu I chose to heat up simple chicken broth and add white bread. That's all I could handle at first. But it tasted so good I welcomed the ability to get something down. And remember, you need to restore liquids to help your body recover.

Monitor your pee. That's right: urine is an indicator of how well hydrated your body is. Clear pee means you have plenty of liquids to caste off. Dark or yellow pee means your body is "thick" and needs fluids.

It may take several days or even a week to feel better after onset of flu. Avoid exercise for several days. If anything, short walks outside for fresh air can help. No running or training. Athletes are the worst patients when it comes to recovering from illnesses. As a long time distance runner, I learned that the risks of coming back too soon are far worse than the loss of a little training time. Often it turns out my body needed the recovery time anyway.

After a week you can expect to get back your routine. But think about what you do before throwing everything back into the mix. Have you considered the diet you maintained during the flu? Was it healthier for you overall? Didn't eating light make you feel better? Weren't you grateful for the food you could eat rather than ravenous for things you should not have, like fats, carbohydrates and sweets?

The flu can be a great challenge psychologically as well. People with a disposition for depression should be sure to monitor their emotions closely. Confide, but try not to complain, about your experience to those around you.

No one likes getting the flu. But in the end it can be a growth experience. Hey, you've got to try to get some positive about one of the worst parts of life.