BRITISH GERMS

Once again, after 6 "Flu Free" years, I got a flu shot this year and I got the flu, or a cold, or the bubonic plague. What ever this germ is it came from England and it is a KILLER! I think it is a British conspiracy to sell tea. They infect you with one of their killer bugs and then tell you to drink lots of hot liquids. I am at the point of pouring melted lava down my throat if only it would end this sore throat. For six years I took a homeopathic "flu" pill and I never got the flu. The 3 years before that I got a flu shot in the fall and I got the flu every January. Then we moved to Florida and I found a doctor who gave out these funny little pills that tasted like sugar. You took 5 of them, let them melt under your tongue and then waited a week and repeated. After 3 weeks of that you were done AND I NEVER GOT THE FLU ! This year I ran out of my little magic pills and have since changed doctors so I figured I give the shot another try. So much for that plan.
Abby was sick and off from school the day before we arrived in Windsor. She had a cold . . . sore throat and drippy nose. She spent one day sleeping, kicked the bug and was pretty much good to go for about a week. She had a minor relapse the day we went to London but Bridget got her some magic medicine from a pharmacy and that seemed to do the trick. About the time Abby relapsed, grandma started to feel a scratch throat. I took Zycam, sucked on vitamin C lozenges and drank everything within reach. No luck! The bug had bit and wasn't letting go. By the day we left England I was feeling crappy but didn't think it would affect my trip home. WRONG !  Don't ever attempt this at home folks. If your ears are clogged DO NOT FLY! That was 3 days ago and I still can't hear. My ears are clogged and crackling, my throat is as raw as it was when we left and I have a killer cough that makes me sound like a frog under a pile of mud. Thursday I went to the Florida doc and she gave me some nose spray . . . NOSE SPRAY ? I am dying here and she is giving me nose spray? I wanted some heavy duty antibiotics, decongestants, swabs of my throat and pain killers and she gives me nose spray! By Friday I was on deaths door, (or at least I thought I must be because you just don't feel that bad and not be close to dying). Sharon, Bob, Jeanne and Frank were still in town and we were getting together for our last fling as they all left today for the snowy reaches of Long Island.  I adore these 4 people and would rather spend time with them than just about anything else in the world. (Grand kids are the exception.) But I thought yesterday would never end. We had our traditional Leg Of Lamb dinner that the "boys" all love and by the end of the meal I had to excuse myself and go to bed for the night. I just couldn't go on another minute.
I slept 14 hours last night . . . "slept" being a very loose term for lying in bed trying to find a comfortable spot while not gagging, choking or going into the constant coughing fits that come every 15 minutes. But I did sleep in between and I do feel a little better today. I think I can get one more day out of this before Husband starts wanting me to cook and keep him company again. 2 days is about the most I can get for sick leave. The best thing about this germ is I have no appetite so I may even lose a pound or two.