Fight or Flight or Flu

Original Post Began Oct 17th
-- a slightly ranty post -- oh well --
Giant sigh. I have finally made it back to my blog. Hello my neglected infant cyber self, my plug-in to reality, my sanctuary.
But what to say.
Well, to start ... no, I do NOT like Autumn! There is a reason it is called Fall. Sure okay its pretty ... but only to lure you in to the death it promises. I tried. I tried really hard to enjoy the lovely colours, the fun little Fall crafts, the cosy nesting home bit. And the beautiful hot Summer-like weather we had for that week that we didn't seem to get in the actual Summer, did help!
Then it happened. The cold. And I don't mean the snow, we'll get to that in a minute.
I mean germs. I, and everyone else I know, don't know, come across, share air with (elch) caught "the cold that's going around".
Except for me, "the cold" invariably leads to something even more delightful. I remember once, having a cold that truly was JUST a cold. Sore throat - one day., Sneezy drippy nose - 1 to 2 days, Ridding the head of a moderate but fair amount of mucus, slight headache - 1 to 2 days. TA DA! Life back to normal in 5 days! I remember that. I treasure that. I even long for that.
Alas, I am the one who gets a mere 5 day virus that turns into infection of the month. Strep throat, sinusitis, ear infection, v. meningitis, bronchitis, pneumonia. I HATE Fall. I LOATHE Autumn. I want to find a black hole and dump all of its deathliness there to be gone forever. All the rotten leaves that we must pry from under the "early" snow (and there is always early snow dammit!), the once pretty now dead flowers, garden vegetables, the bugs that are scrambling into my house for protection ... BLACK HOLE.

Part II - Nov 4th

Good grief! How many times can a person get sick?! I ask this now as I listen to my poor child's laboured breathy sounds over the monitor as she tries to get some rest. In my cosy bed.
We've just returned from a harried last minute "emergency" squeeze in appointment at the paediatrician's office to see some new paediatrician (lovely, pleasant, knowledgeable) but had to beg to see her since ours is away. This morning as I wait on the phone for 15 minutes when the clinic opened, I listened to the client convenience recording cycle about 8 times and didn't miss the part about "we are pleased to offer the services of another physician should your regular physician be unable to see you" and so upon being informed that "Dr. So&so is away, thanks for calling good-b ...", my Mom voice came out.
No no! hold the phone! What is your contingency plan since my doc is away, who is seeing her patients? - I ask.
"Well what's the problem?" - phone lady asks as if she herself is examining patients in the doc's absence.
OH NOTHING, JUST WANTED TO TAKE UP EVERYONE'S VALUABLE TIME. CATCH SOMETHING ON THE BUS RIDE OVER & IN THE WAITING ROOM. TORTURE MY POOR SICK CHILD WITH AN OUTING SO I CAN HAVE A CHAT WITH SOME DOCTOR! WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PROBLEM IS, I HAVE A SICK CHILD, GET ME A DOCTOR LIKE THE PHONE RECORDED MESSAGE PROMISED ME!
"Can you come in at 10:30?"
Now. I do empathize with medical staff during this crazy time of apparent pandemic and I am the first one to try to understand the other's point of view before reacting emotionally. But don't make me beg for a doctor when I know my child needs one. So unnecessary. And yet necessary. Why must the abusers of health care make all of us pay?

Anyway. So yeah. Into the building we walk & are accosted by two nurses before we can even see the elevators. One is sticking something in my ear, REALLY, and one is guarding the barricaded pathway into the foyer.
"Are you coughing, do you have a fever, sore throat ..."
I instinctually (not a word) pull away - IS THAT CLEAN - I ask as she tugs at my ear to try to get the thermometer in. I notify her that it is my child who has a productive cough, ear ache ... & she sticks the thermometer into her ear with no explanation, slaps on a face mask on my child, lathers us up with hand sanitizer and sends us on our way.
Off we stagger feeling a bit like something thrown together on an assembly line. Yeesh.
Flu frenzy, flu shot frenzy, to flu shot or not to flu shot ... I am almost as tired of hearing about it all as I would be if I had the actual flu. Well ... lets not get stupid. However, the media hype is enough to drive someone paranoid. I hope they catch the flu.
Earlier this week, we were chased down by a news reporter wanting to know our thoughts on the pandemic & early depletion of the vaccination... I said "Achoo!" all over the microphone and continued on our way.
Fortunately, we had put in our hours of lining up and were actually rewarded with a poke in the arm. All side effects (severe & mild) aside, I sure don't want the flu of any kind. And though we have yet to get part 2 of the vaccine for our child (pls tell me they planned for THAT!) & have not yet seen the end of 10-14 days before full protection of the vaccination occurs, we seem to have dodged "flu" thus far. We have, however, managed to catch every other virus going around and I am wondering ... where are the inoculations for those! Until then ... vitamin C, garlic, cod liver oil, acetaminophen, purell & The Sound of Music about 900 times.

P.S.
I never did get to "the snow", but I'll admit, I AM listening to Guitar Winterlude right now. And I'll be mostly fine with that & snow ... until January 2nd.