Sorry, can't get the sick-kid thing out of my mind lately. Maybe it's from the nose-wipage snail-tracks decorating my couch? Or the hacking phlegm-sounds invading my dreams at night, followed by the [intentionally weak-sounding] call of "Mamaaaaa!" Or the doe eyes that stare up at me, pleadingly, beseechingly, as if somehow that intense eye contact would be enough not only to convey what feeling like crap feels like but also to magically transfer it to someone—anyone—else.
I know you know what I'm talking about.
And it seems to be on everyone else's mind too. Take Rita Arena at BlogHer, for example. She's talking about flu shots and immune-boosting activities. Avoiding the one makes the other more important. I think that flu shots are useless/more dangerous than helpful in most cases, with some notable exceptions, so I was surprised/appalled to learn that The Ex had a flu shot administered to our four-year-old over the weekend. At second thought, however, it seems that he fits more in the category of notable exceptions, so I'll let sleeping immunosuppressants lie in this case.
Other notable exceptions include those who are health care workers or are frequently around those germy little kids (oops, that would be us, wouldn't it?), or the elderly or people whose immune systems need some boosting, or people like my son who have tiny respiratory passages and are prone to respiratory issues.
(By the way, Rita also presents a wonderful rundown on what to look for when your kid has the flu, as in when to go to a doctor. People have died from the flu and will continue to do so whether we have shots for it or not, so it's good to know when it gets to that serious stage)
But there's lots of people who get the shot every year, betting that the healthcare industry gurus chose the "right" strains to focus on this year.
Just not me, thank you. I will continue to take my chances. Just don't cough on me; I get enough of that at home. Now if only I could do something about the whining.
Photo: bbc.co.uk
