The Influenza Virus
I hate getting the flu. I woke up Tuesday morning running a fever of over 100 degrees and feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I called in sick to work and stayed home taking a series of naps. I awake Wednesday morning feeling much better, though I was fever free, I was extremely congested. I went ahead and went to work.
In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t. It’s not like I shovel coal or chop wood for a living. I sit at a bench working on electronics. It’s not the most strenuous job on the planet.
I woke up yesterday morning with a massive headache and my fever was back. I don’t know if it was because I went to work on Wednesday instead of staying home another day and getting rest, but I don’t think going to work helped. I probably should have just stayed home another day.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Having the flu got me thinking. If you could go your entire life without have a cold or the flu, would you sacrifice 3-years of your life? Instead of dying at the ripe age of 71, you would die at 68. You would live three less years, but you would not know what it was like to have a stuffed up head or your body ache from having a fever.
It’s a deal I would take without blinking.
Patty from Quartz Hill
/ January 2, 2009I’m so sorry you’ve been sick! I hope you are feeling much better by now. It’s a shame that some older, wiser person couldn’t have advised you not to go to work that day. Feel better and take care of yourself.
Rick
/ January 2, 2009@Patty from Quartz Hill: Yeah, yeah… don’t think that particular point didn’t occur to me yesterday.
Unreal
/ January 2, 2009NO WAY would I give up years of my life…. the flu or a cold is nothing
Rick
/ January 2, 2009@Unreal: The flu is nothing? Every year approximately 36,000 people die from the flu in the U.S. alone.
Amber
/ January 6, 2009I have the flu right now and I would TOTALY give up 3 years of my life! This is no fun at all! I’ve been sick 6 days now. Seriously, 6 days! Get well soon Rick! Love the blog! Also, where do you work? I work at vending machine repair company in Irving, Texas. I had to look back up at your name when you said you sit at a bench and work on electronics bc that’s what we do here! Anyway, Thanks for the good read.
Rick
/ January 6, 2009@Amber: I live in Maryland, but I work in Pennsylvania repairing drives (inverters) used to operate 3-phase AC motors.
Eric
/ January 8, 2009I’m dieing from the flu right now, but I would never give up three years. The thing about the cold/flu is, sure it sucks, but it kicks your body into ultra cleaning mode, and you feel twice as good after it passes than you did before it came. I think it’s just someone’s way of constantly reminding us that man is obsolete, and a constant reminder that there are worse things in life.
Robert B
/ January 26, 2009I have the flu right now. Man does it suck. I knew it was coming Friday evening. My muscles felt like I had a very hard workout though I have not been to gym in a few days. It was my weekend with my 3 year old as well. Poor guy was stuck home doing nothing all weekend. I tried to venture out but was not even safe for me to drive… I hate you Mr. Influenza.
Oh and yes.. I would gladly sacrifice 3 years of my life not to have this again..
D Michael
/ August 7, 2009i have the flu now. oh, man… ahhh, geeez, ohhhh yep i’m feeling it. flu sucks – somehow say’in that on this page makes me feel better.
naa, give me the pain for 6, 12, 24 days vs. loosing 1071 days. 3-years? At 68, you can get hitched, buy an extra Hawaiian t-shirt, pop out another rug rat and stop the pace maker finally during the act with that!
Can’t you tell I’ve got a fever by how I’m yacking on here?
Cause, simple amusement distracts the discomfort…
Fight through the pain – buy an Xbox, shut the door, float like a butterfly and sting like a bee!
“Flu Sucks”