Flu Blues...!

I am back. Back as in not on the blog but back to being myself. The last few days, as I also mentioned in my last blog, were not so good with me nursing a bad cold that refused to part itself without making sure I underwent the ordeal of loud sneezes and a dripping nose. My head had gone numb and countless cups of tea at work dint really help. On top of that, there wasnt much work and that made me realize time and again that I have a bad cold and headaches. But the dozens of " Bless You" s that I wrote about earlier seemed to have bore fruit and I feel much better today. The body aches are minimal, the sneezes have disappeared and the drips have pretty much dried up. I can now smell a bit better and taste food too which helps since two days back, all that I tasted felt like rubber- be it chapati or grilled chicken! But neways, now that I am feeling better I shouldnt complain.

But all through these 2-3 days and especially yesterday, I couldnt get over the hysteria that I might be having the seasonal flu or even H1N1. I was paranoid and while idle at work, researched a lot about common cold, flu and H1N1. The symptoms for all are pretty similar except for one distinct one is that the latter two come with a fever, and the good part was I dint have one. But the bodyaches were a sign I might be catching one and that kind of made me uneasy. Somehow I managed to find 2-3 articles on the internet which gave me the confidence that I am going to get over this common cold of mine. And I believe I have almost done that by now ( touchwood). I also came across the fact that H1N1 is not one of those deadly viruses that they show in Hollywood movies like the Transporter or Mission Impossible. Its not going to cause big boils on your skin and make you melt. But nevertheless, the lack of vaccine( which we now have) made it lethal that time but now with the vaccine out , we should be fine. I hope they can make the vaccine available through most parts of the world soon and people in the high risk categories get immunized first.

Having said all this, I still am a bit paranoid about the virus. A bottle of Purell at home and office explains that ( though I also like using Purell for that smell that alcohol gives when it evaporates). It has definitely made me spray my room a couple of times more with those anti-bacterial sprays and make sure the restroom is clean and sprayed more than often. It is just my way of calming my mind down and stop it from being in the hysterical swine flu syndrome mode which am sure is what you guys have on your mind too.

And I hope you guys are taking precautions too. So keep your hands away from your nose and mouth and sanitize more often.

When every sneeze counts....

"Swine Flu is making sure every Sneeze counts!" - I think I made this one up myself.

Off late I have been down with some cold. Credit that to a new place or mad changing weather but I have been nursing a running nose for quite a few weeks now. And dont know why, but my nose decides to be at its worst when am at work. So here I am, typing out some stuff on my work computer and there comes a loud " Aaaaakchoooo!" . I go looking for my tissues while still recovering from the big jerk that resonated my nasal passages when I hear a dozen " Bless You" s bombarded at me from all sides. Not that I am complaining about people wishing for my good, but the recent bouts of Swine Flu springing up here and there makes me think otherwise.

I wouldn't have thought in this manner an year ago when swine flu was still restricted to pigs and hadn't founds its way into we humans but now the 'Bless You' s I feel have a different connotation. Its my interpretation but now people not only wish well for you when they say ' Bless You' but also they have this ' Swine Flu' scare syndrome hovering in their head. So along with the goodness in their hearts, the fear in their minds plays a part in wishing you. Deep inside they wish that you dont have Swine Flu and that you dont hand them that as a freebie. So its more about ' Bless him so that we dont catch the Flu he might be carrying .... more specifically Swine Flu!' than 'Bless You and may you feel better'.

Thats when I have realized how every sneeze counts, how every sneeze of yours attracts instant attention though with a hint of skepticism, and how every sneeze can earn you someones good wishes even if they wish more good for themselves than you! And there I go again, " Aaaackchoooo!!" .... 'Bless Me' too!