5.1.11

Bubonic

Three months ago my darling Mountain Man requested that I bring the kids up to his work so the whole family could get a flu shot. And I laughed -- guffawed, really -- at the idea of me or the kids injecting that silly vaccine into our bodies. MM may have the immune system of a newborn, but the kids and I are tough cookies.

One month ago I took my precious children for new patient visits at the practice I switched them to after being forgotten and ignored by the pediatrician's office I've used for the past nine years. The new doc poked and prodded and pushed and cajoled. I walked out with two kids who were mumbledy-grumbledy, but damned if they didn't have flu shots.

That left me. And five days ago I fell. Like a damn brick.

Fever, chills, sleep. More fever, more chills, more sleeping. My joints swelled to the point I couldn't bend my body parts and my body erupted in a splotchy rash from chest to toe tip. And through all of it, the ol' mountain goat and his rough-neck kids remained robustly flu-free.

Which spawns these types of conversations:

Me: My mama's convinced I have scarlet fever.

MM: You want me to look it up?

Me: I don't have scarlet fever!

MM: So you want me to look it up?

Me: Yeah, I guess we should.

MM: Says here scarlet fever does come with a rash. It's supposed to feel like sandpaper.

Me: Nope, I don't have it. My skin still feels soft. Not that you'd know since you haven't touched me in days.

MM: Hell no I haven't! And I ain't goin' to!

Me: Asshole.

MM: Yeah, but I'm a healthy asshole.

Moral of the story: Just buck up and get the damn flu shot.

Hope you had a fantastic new year's weekend. I was half dead and rashy. But I don't have scarlet fever (No, mama, I really don't) and my tum-tum never got sick, so it's all good. I'm slowly crawling back to full-speed but am currently operating at about 1/4th speed ... and so it goes.

Happy 2011!

11 comments:

  • Cheri

    oh Kelly - that does NOT sound fun! On the upside, at least you didn't have to take care of sick kids while you were sick. Hope you feel back to 100% soon!

  • Unknown

    hope you get better soon! and that was funny, sounds like the banter in my house!

  • Rudri

    Hope you are on the mend. For what it is worth, I didn't get my flu shot this year either. Good moral of the story.

  • Stacia

    We're flu-shot converts here, too. And currently I'm obsessing about how we're going to all get shots next flu season when we're living in Romania. Surely, they have them there. Right? Right??

    PS: Glad you're on the mend. Slowly but surely and free of strange rashes. =>

  • ck

    And somehow, even in the midst of your sickness, you're funny as hell! Get well soon.

  • The Drama Mama

    Ick the flu sucks. The rash sucks, and MM's attitude sucks, too. Heh. I'm glad you are on the mend. I'm glad the kids didn't get it, too.

  • TKW

    Argh! Rotten, rotten luck! I'm so sorry you got the dreaded flu. Wish I lived closer so I could bring over some soup.

  • Amber

    I got the flu shot...and then still got the flu. Wish I had the Mountain Man's immune system!

  • Cathy Reaves

    Oh no! I am just like you - husband and the kids all got their flu shots but I shunned it. Yikes!

  • Jami

    Yuck! I hope you are feeling better by now. I have been playing nurse to a variety of little illnesses, but I won't admit that any of them might be flu. ;)

  • Anonymous

    I usually get the flu shot, but haven't had a chance...guess this is a wake up call! I did have scarlet fever 2 years ago. The doc at the walk in clinic hadn't seen it in an adult in years - she called in her medical assistants to see it. I was show and tell.

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