Wednesday, March 29, 2017

An Update from Debbie..and Why The Flu Stinks!

Fighting the Good Fight


Not to be melodramatic here, since I know that many others have health conditions millions of times worse than mine. But, I have to tell you....the flu stinks! I won't bore you with all the gory details and I certainly won't show you what I look like right now. It's not a pretty picture! So, I'll use some past pics from the blog for you to look at in this re-run post.


My fever seems to be staying in the normalish range now, which is good news. I still have a deep wracking cough, stuffy head and am as weak as a dishrag. Laying in bed or sitting in a chair seems to be all I feel like doing.


Ever since I was a child, I seem to take longer to recuperate from colds and flu than other people seem to take. Including my husband, who has also had the flu, but seems to power through his days no matter what,  never cancelling anything or missing anything. I have never been able to do that. When I am sick, I have to stop. And get better. And it takes awhile. Period. 


Sometimes, I feel guilty about being sick, thinking I must be a big baby because I can't snap back like others seem to. At other times, I feel irritated because others CAN snap back more quickly. 


I guess you could say I'm cranky from feeling miserable.  Please forgive the whining. 


On a positive note, Gracie is hanging in there.  Nothing has changed with her diagnosis of mouth cancer. But, we found some wet food that she is eating really well which keeps her weight balanced and her energy level up. She seems to be having what we call "good cat days" which is how we gauge our pet's comfort level. We bathe her a few times a day which she likes (using a damp cloth or paper towel, not immersing her) and then we brush her, which she loves. It is not pleasant having a cat with mouth cancer....but we are committed to caring for her and accepting the unpleasantness....because we love her.  I'm certain this burden isn't helping my mood, either.  But, we are thankful for good cat days.


I'm also thankful for warmer weather and some much needed rain we got over the weekend.  We are almost to April and it is cheering to think of Spring flowers and sunny days. Always a happy thought!


I had some fun things planned for next week, but am wondering if those will happen given that I figure I will still be recovering. One week for me with the flu will not do the trick with recovery. Years of "Being Debbie" have taught me that.  But, I will keep hope alive a few more days before cancelling plans.  Sigh....


Thank you for indulging my whining.  I hope that your day is bright, happy and healthy...free from colds and flu. 


And I hope you've enjoyed a recap of some of the photos from the blog. 

Until Next Time,
Debbie 

Spring  by  Sharon

7 comments:

Karen said...

I enjoyed the pictures from past posts, and glad to hear that Gracie is still hanging tough. They are such amazingly good sports. I went through some serious things with my pets and do remember feeling so much better when they had the occasional good day.

I'm afraid I'm more like your husband and can remember only one time in my life when I was down for more than a day or two. I think that having to raise the kids alone is what ultimately drove me to just power through. It's not easy, especially coming to work feeling horrible, but that's just my way. We are all different. My mom is like you and requires more time to feel better. Good thing we aren't all alike, in so many ways! : )

Sharon said...

I am right with you, Debbie, in the way I recover from any kind of respiratory illness. It takes a long time for me to recover along with a lot of sleep. I have never understood how some people bounce right back. I tell myself that resting and sleeping is a healthier way to recover, but in any case,it certainly is what I require. On another note, I'm so glad that Gracie is enjoying some good cat days. And I thoroughly enjoyed your recap of photos from previous posts.

Debbie Styles Life said...

You're right, Karen, we are all different in so many ways. I am soooo thankful that this is one time I haven't needed to be worried about missing sick days at work. I do think, though, that we live in a world where being sick is just not very "valued" in the work world....and that never worked well for me and my needs. Hope you are having a healthy and happy week!

Debbie Styles Life said...

I'm with you, Sharon. Rest, and lots of it, is what works for me. Retirement certainly makes that easier!!

Jodie's Touch of Style said...

I think it always feels better to share with others, Debbie!!
Resting is not a bad thing---that's exactly what your body needs!!
jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com

Debbie Styles Life said...

Thank you, Jodie, that makes me feel better! Sharing is always a good thing!

shelley said...

So sorry to hear that you're under the weather! Hope you bounce back soon. In the meantime, I enjoyed your photos and your cat is beautiful. Sorry to hear about her illness too. We had a dog for many years that was part of our family so I understand how important they are