My Case of Flu

One winter morning, when I woke up, I felt my throat scratchy.
I couldn’t help coughing.
And I had a runny nose. I also felt very chilly.
I took my temperature and it turned out that I had a high fever of 38.5 degrees.
I hurried back to bed and fell asleep again.
When I woke up at around noon, I felt I was getting worse.
I felt very weak.
It was when I was in the first year in high school.
That time, a bad case of flu was going around and many of my classmates were absent from school. So I thought I got the flu, too.
It took about three whole days to get over the flu.
I didn’t have a good appetite while I had the flu.
My mother fixed a bowl of rice gruel, okayu in Japanese, a few salty pickled plums, umeboshi, and some pieces of canned peach for me.
I didn’t have much appetite, but I tried to eat what were nutritious and easy to digest, because I needed the energy to get rid of the flu.
When you have the flu, you need a plenty of liquids. So I tried to drink as much liquid as possible. I drank a plenty of Pokari-sweat. (a kind of isotonic beverage that is very popular in Japan)

The temperature reached a new high every time I took it. 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

As far as I remember, I didn’t go see a doctor that time.
I guess my mom thought I could recover without consulting a doctor.
It was a story in 70’s. At that time, people didn’t always go to the doctors when they got sick.
My mom gave me some OTC antipyretic and general cold medicine.
My temperature started to go down in three days.

I think I should take care not to develop pneumonia when I have a bad case of the flu.
When a bad case of flu is going around, I try to wear a surgical mask when I have to go out in a crowded place. And I wash my hands and gargle when I come back home.
I think the best remedy for the flu or a cold is prevention.
I think taking appropriate precautions such as washing hands, gargling, taking good nutritions and sleep, regular life, and lastly getting a flu shot are very important not to catch the flu or a cold.