The Crud (Suzanne Forster)

That title probably says it all. It’s flu season in the Forster household. Between this week and last week we’ve had three different versions of the flu around here, and it’s just easier to lump it all together and call it The Crud.

Last week I had the crud that brings with it aches, pain, chills and fever. No cold, no cough, no sore throat, and no stomach flu. Guess who thought she got off lucky. But by Sunday I had that tell tale tickle in my throat, the one that makes you feel as if you want to cough, but you always write it off as nothing, or at least I do … until I’m up all night coughing. Of course, I’m never prepared, except with cough drops, which are virtually useless for anything but the tickle. I’ve gone through a bag already.

This morning the cough and scratchy throat were essentially gone, and again, I thought I’d gotten off lucky. That was before the headache hit, and it’s a skull cracker. Think torture device, as in metal head band with little spikes that some unseen fiend is drawing tighter while laughing diabolically.

Headaches are an all-new flu symptom for me, and I thought maybe it was a fluke. But I asked the dh over the bowl of chicken soup that was our dinner, and he said he’d had a splitting headache for two days running. Thanks for that, I said. He’s the one who gave me both of this year’s versions of the crud. He brought them home with him from the Boys and Girls Club, where he works with scads of adorable, but highly infectious, tots. Kids, you gotta love them, but let’s be honest, they’re walking petrie dishes. Little germ factories, they are.

So, I’m writing this at two in the morning because the coughing is back. It woke me up. No stomach flu so far. Maybe I’ll be lucky?

Any other crud sufferers, please come and commiserate. Or if you have remedies, post them here. All advice and virtual healing welcome!

Suz