Flu Part IV

[livingdeb]

Also, I'm glad I don't live somewhere cold, that I have a kitchen, and that I don't have to take care of the kids while my husband is at work even though I have a fever of 103. (I don't actually have a fever of 103, I assume, but I did read this about someone else.)

Last time I remember being this sick was my freshman year in college. My friends forced me to go to the dreaded infirmary after I wouldn't eat my omelet. Saturday morning omelets were the one reliably fabulous meal each week.

The lady there said I could escape the dreaded infirmary if I promised to go straight back to the dorm, get into my pajamas, and get into bed and to drink a glass of water every hour. She said don't set an alarm, but if I'm awake, drink. I did this, except for once when a package came and I had to walk across campus to pick it up. I remember bringing little cups of water with me so that I could take sips of water while I was walking there to keep my throat from feeling so dried out in wintry Boston, and I had to stop halfway there to refill them.

I hated drinking water, though, because it tasted so awful. I would watch the minute hand on the clock, hoping I'd fall asleep before it was time to get another drink of water. I also clearly remember fantasizing about eating a taco. I fantasized about each and every bite of it.

I don't know why everything tastes different and wrong sometimes when your sick. I've heard it's because you're stopped up and much of tasting really comes from smelling. Well, I can often still smell just fine, but that doesn't keep everything but chicken broth from tasting nasty.

And tea. I'm not a big fan of tea, so I have low expectations. But it's a much nicer way to get water down than drinking straight water. It tastes slightly better and it's nice and hot and keeps me from coughing so much.

I didn't bother trying to do anything productive today.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Sometimes drinking water with a splash of fruit juice (I stick to clear ones like apple or white grape, though not for any special reason other than how it looks) makes it easier for me to drink while I'm sick and water tastes nasty. I think I got this idea from tam.

I haven't tried the flavored waters to know whether that works also.

Tea is a good way to go, especially if you have somebody else to make it for you. When I'm that sick, I often don't have the combination of energy and will to make it for myself. Making tea always seems like a major undertaking, even though it's objectively very easy.

(sally)

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

I should try that sometime. Right now I only have orange juice, which does not taste good at all.

Tea is definitely one of the easier things to make. I don't mind it. The thing that seems disproportionately hard to me is putting things away when I'm done, like books and DVDs.