FLU PARANOIA – IS IT GOOD OR BAD!

By Mr. William

“A person without good breathing, is a person with a life of constant caution, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.” (Will Dursens)

When the world around you seems to be filling up with sickness and your whole life seems to be spent already fighting a chronic illness or disease then how do you react, do you take the chances and still get out and mingle with friends or go shopping in a building full of strangers or do you just hole away at home, staying in touch with friends and family by phone or internet?

I have written in the past, somewhat recently as a matter of fact, about how sometimes I feel as if I am becoming a hermit or withdrawn from contact with society face-to-face. Those writes mostly came from just a general paranoia that many fight while battling a chronic illness or disease, and that alone can be a tough fight.

But now, with the high elevation of threat from various flu bugs and viruses plus the normal wintertime colds, feeling like it would be fine to withdraw from face-to-face meetings is becoming more and more real.

A good example comes from my last two visits as an outpatient to get my highly expensive, bi-weekly Xolair shots. A month ago, when I was in to get the shot, I noticed several of the nursing staff folks were wearing facemasks while working. When asked, I was told those are the nurses who had not had a flu shot and were now required to wear those facemasks. Wow, I was stunned. One because I had always figured that medical staff would be automatically required to have the flu shot every year. Two because it made me very uncomfortable being in the same hallways of what the hospital may be feeling was full of flu or cold germs and viruses.

Then two weeks ago when I went in again for that bi-weekly shot, they put me in a room on the other side of the same floor as normal with the comment that where I usually get my shot was filled to the brim with flu patients. That seemed like a horrifying thought to me and I looked at the nurse and said then get me my damn shot and get me the hell out of here.

Now I did have the flu shot, just like I do every year, but even with the flu shot they have been saying that it does not cover all strains and right now there is a whole bunch of influenza ‘A’ being passed around my area of life.

Except for some doctor appointments, I can honestly say that I have been to the local Wal-Mart just twice since the first of the year. I have only traveled out of town twice beyond medical appointments and have been to the local grocery market just once in the same time period.

Every day it seems I am hearing that friends of mine have kids or grandkids that are now missing several days or even a week or more of school due to some kind of flu bug or virus. Some of these kids are showing temperatures of 101 or more, while some are doing the what seems to be more normal flu stuff like vomiting or getting the you know what out of the other end.

My wife works at one of our local grade schools and I am not sure how she stays healthy sometimes with the number of kids she says are coughing, sneezing or just plain looking like they are sick while at school.

Somebody once told me that maybe I should get a face mask to wear when I am out in public. No thanx, with my history of severe Asthma and now COPD, the last thing I can handle is anything over my mouth – it always makes me feel like someone is trying to suffocate me and then I go into a panic mode which isn’t always very pretty.

So here I am at the beginning of another week and I already know that I have at three planned trips outside of the comfort zone I call home. One is an important trip to my ears, nose and throat doctor to check up on what is happening with my paralyzed larynx. The second trip of the week is my normal bi-weekly Xolair shot at the local hospital, it will be interesting to see what is happening up there this time around and hopefully I can get in and get out within 15 minutes or less. My final already scheduled trip outside of the house this week is on Friday when I see an eye specialist about my blurred vision in the right eye.

I am pretty sure I may not go anywhere this week except for those three already schedule trips, and for today that is okay with me as I just now noticed on Facebook that another good friend of my locally has the second of her three kids now down with the flu.

QUESTION TIME – As we like to do at times, we leave you with a question to think about and maybe respond to. The question(s) I may ask today are:

  • What is your typical response to being out in the general public when you know the area is being flooded with folks fighting the flu and cold season?
  • Is there anything you do to help stave off any paranoia about being out and about during the flu season?
  • If you do stay home more than not during the flu season, what do you do to stay ahead of the mental feelings of isolation?

We appreciate your answers as they may lead to a discussion in an upcoming ‘Lenny’ & Me 4 today, so we are thanking you in advance.

And that my friends, is where ‘Lenny’ and Me are 4 today.

A REMINDER – Do you have any comments or questions about my postings, then feel free to leave a comment on either at this blog, at the email address of wheezingaway@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/copdtravels/.

ALWAYS REMEMBER – If you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

With that, I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2020, CrossDove Writers through wheezingaway.com – no part of this write may be used or copied without written permission.)

NOTES: Sometimes we share what may seem like medical information, but we are only giving descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or Asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer medical founded information.