I had some nice plans for finish the year with a couple of good post. I intended to start off 2018 strong and post a few things. Then the flu bug came calling. I’ve been lucky or blessed the last several years by not having the flu. Yeah some other stuff like bronchitis last year and some surgery and radiation the year before that and the occasional cold.

I’m not strong enough to hold a camera still long enough for an exposure so you get a flower shot I took around Christmas.
Photo by Mike Hartley
I have no idea if I’m just getting old and not able to fight these things off as well or if this is a nasty strain or I just forgot what the flu was like. Maybe it was that cold I had the week before. But Saturday, Sunday and Monday I felt like death was on the tv tray next to me or following me back and forth to the bathroom. Today I’m starting to feel human again. Well except that I feel like I just fought two MMA champs at the same time. I would also be grateful if someone removed the 600 lb. sumo wrestler from sitting on my chest. Oh and being able about speak and having something come out besides a squeak and not be followed by coughing for several minutes would be nice.
But I’ll take what I got right now. I’ve had a loving wife to take care of me. I have a job with sick leave and I know that many people face this without those benefits so hats off to many that have it worse off than I. But it also shook me again for a bit. Yes I do get my flu shots. I also just had my annual physical and besides some known issues with my back I did fairly well. But I also am smart enough to admit I’m not in the best shape I could be.
So I’m reminded about the appreciation and respect I should have for my health. And while I don’t recommend it to anyone, the rapid weight loss was a nice benefit of it I should not take for granted and not immediately put back on. For that is one factor in regaining my health. Good body weight.
So my condolences to those getting the flu bug this year. But let it make you stronger in the long run. Health is EVERYTHING. For if you don’t have it you quickly realize how much of life is irrelevant.