I got da’ blues AND da’ flu!

Okay.  Having my PTSD triggered the other day at the VA clinic was bad enough, with all the nightmares and related hell that that brings on, but I walked away from the clinic with something else, too…  Enter influenza.  I wasn’t even at the clinic because I was sick, and I certainly didn’t want to be sick, but now I’m sick anyway because I went for a check-up!!!  I definitely don’t want to spread it, either!!!  So I’m missing climbing something terrible, but probably couldn’t get my foot up high enough to reach a foothold if I tried because I’m so exhausted and not feeling good!  Plus, I don’t want to get my friends at the gym sick because the Montana Bouldering Championships are coming up next Saturday on Feb 3rd!!!  I got up for a doctor’s appointment this morning, then came straight back home and slept for four hours after taking some Airborne.  Sometimes I can fight off a bug if I catch it early enough with that long nap strategy, but now my throat hurts even worse, and I have the chills that won’t quit!!!  I took some more Airborne, but I’m losing hope that this strategy is going to work.  Maybe it will shorten my illness???  I don’t get sick very often, so when I do get sick, I get REALLY SICK.  Hot tea with honey and lemon has been my friend all day, as has the nice hoody my mom got me for Christmas and the other three layers I have on underneath that.  I’m thinking about adding my down puffy jacket to the pile I’m wearing!!!  Oh, and let’s not forget my stocking cap!  I read a report headline on MedScape just a few minutes ago that says the influenza is as widespread this year as in the pandemic in 2009.  That’s not good.  So, I got da’ blues and da’ flu, and I’m not liking it at all!!!  Since the influenza vaccine is only about 10% effective this year, I probably should’ve expected this to happen, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it!  I want to be continuing my training on the stationary bike and climbing!  I was doing so well!!!  I was biking around 6.5 miles in 35 minutes while cycling, and then climbing was going really well, too!  Like I said, though, getting everyone at the gym sick right before the competition is not cool.  Not cool at all.  So we’ll see how this goes.  I hope that I’m better soon and that this bug doesn’t get down into my lungs or anything like that, otherwise it’s going to be really bad.  So, hello from afar to all my climbing buddies and blog followers, as not to make you all sick, too!