I didn’t get my flu shot this year. I’m not anti-vaccination or anything. (The decision to be anti-vaccines is frankly stupid but we don’t need to go into that, right? I want to live in a world without polio and small pox and even chicken pox and rotovirus. Which means vaccines…for everybody.) I’m just a healthy-in my twenties-and not working in heathcare individual. Flu-shot was not a priority. It did make it on my list a couple times, but was too much a bother.

The baby did get his flu shot. Twice, as he was supposed to. Thank goodness for well child checks that make sure that this mom is staying current on vaccines. (Which to me is the main reason for well child checks. Because I can tell my child is healthy, and I usually don’t need a doctor to tell me that too. But kids do need their vaccines. See above.)

Saturday we had such wonderful plans. All of which were shortly cancelled. Peter was sick. Sleep-all-day, high temperature, icky sick. We stayed home and worked on home projects. It was actually really great.

Then Sunday, I got sick. I thought it would just be a day or so, but one day turned into four. And Curtis got sick, and lastly Joe got sick.

The flu is awful. I didn’t have headaches, tummy trouble, or any real symptoms besides a sore throat. But I didn’t exactly want to move either. My body would vary between fevers and chills and the best stage: asleep. I didn’t do anything for three days except drink strange warm beverages that might make me feel better. (I think warm water would have done the trick. I firmly believe that home remedies have their place, but a lot of that place is to get a good placebo effect.) Well, I’m a mom to young children so my not doing anything is still doing a lot.

Yesterday I felt better. It was so awesome! There was more to life than surviving until the next nap. Playing with kids was actually fun. I could clean! And make chicken noodle soup, and read a book and get excited about things.

Joe (Or Dad. I always call him Joe but then he gets a bit upset because the kids start calling him Joe too.) should be better tomorrow. And we can go back to living a normal life.

At one point I was really mad because I was sick. But the great thing about being sick is you realize how wonderful it is to be healthy once you get better. I’ve been very blessed in my life. My health history is still extremly short. When Peter started to get sick, I mentioned to Joe that I had not been really sick the entire time we have been married…and longer. I was due for a bout of the flu, and it just made me grateful that I’ve had a healthy life.

But it mostly taught me that I should prioritize my flu shot more. I don’t ever want to get the flu again.