Anywhere you go around Mackay and the Whitsundays now, you’ll hear the familiar chorus of coughs and splutters – it’s flu season.
I’d dare say it’s a pretty bad one at that. One unwell person, who wasn’t even aware they were that ill, was in our office, and within three days there were only four people left standing. Some had received flu vaccines, and by all reports, their symptoms were much less severe. I, on the other hand, had not got a flu jab and spent the entire week regretting it.
Seeing as my past week has been consumed with chesty coughing, body aches, and a lot of Game of Thrones, I thought all I really have to offer you this week are my five tips for surviving this year’s flu.
1. As I alluded to earlier, find a TV series you like with a lot of seasons because I’m not joking when I say this sickness will leave you bedridden. Game of Thrones has been a favourite for me with its eight seasons.
2. Stock up on ginger! No, I’m not kidding. I had the worst nausea and vomiting from this flu, as have others I’ve spoken with. The ginger immunity shots you can get from Coles and Woolies were my saving grace after a week without being able to get any food down.
3. Make a homemade pumpkin soup. If you have a pot and a blender, homemade pumpkin soup is so easy. A lot of supermarkets now even sell already chopped up pumpkin. Stick a large onion and a couple of peeled cloves of garlic in that, and you’ve got a flu-fighting super mix.
4. Prevention is better than treatment, so if you can get the flu-fighting vitamins into you before any sickness sets in, you’ve already got the upper hand.
5. Lastly, if you’re sick, stay home and rest. It’s the only thing that’s going to make you better. I’m a bit of a doer, so after a few days in bed, I thought I’d be right to go again. I came back to work and quickly realised that if I wasn’t lying flat on my back or only doing things in short bursts and then taking a rest in between, I got a lot worse very quickly. A chesty but non-productive cough is a pretty good sign you’re on the mend, but give yourself a couple of extra days just to be sure!
I hope everyone either avoids this awful bug or recovers quickly!
Kaley