Cough House

From what I have seen on the news, the flu has been very wide spread this year. Iowa has been hit hard as well with schools low on attendance and hospitals busy. Mom had a doctor's visit due to paperwork for me, and the bug entered our house.

She has been having trouble with coughing and tiredness for over a week now. A few days later, dad also started having trouble with a cough, chills, and not feeling well. He has not had it as bad as mom at least and is getting towards recovery. Thankfully, as I write this, I have stayed healthy without any problems. However, that gets to be a challenge in the quad life.

First, I wish that I could help them more. For five hours every evening, and weekend days, I don't have a caregiver. So instead of resting and not doing much, they need to help me. I try to do the absolute minimum I can to both allow rest and limit my exposure. However, I'd much prefer helping prepare and serve chicken noodle soup for them instead of the other way around. Unfortunately, that's not the life we've been given and I look more to God for His direction.

When the flu season is around, it makes me wonder about how best to stay well. I think there is a thin line between somewhat healthy germ exposure and completely living in a bubble. Yes, when someone is sick with something contagious they need to take precautions not to purposefully infect those around them. However, if you are never exposed to anything, the body's immune system doesn't build up antibodies to react when germs come.

Maybe in some ways I'm more in the direction of little exposure to germs. A common warning is to wash hands frequently in flu season. My hands mainly make for good decoration at the end of my arms and never touch anything, so limiting exposure. I also don't go out much this time of year, which also helps.

For all those struggling with any type of illness, I pray for fast and complete recovery. It's a reminder that our once perfect world is no longer what it was and makes me look forward to what is to come.