I'm Afraid of the Flu, and If You Have It (no Offense) I'm Afraid of You, Too

I cannot get the flu. It's out of the question. I'll do something else, but not that. It's not that I'm so busy and important that the world will stop revolving if I'm out of commission for a few days. In a pinch, my husband can eat canned soup or peanut butter out of the jar. We can have cat litter delivered to the front door. And it's not that I can't endure illness or discomfort. Nobody loves these things, but I can get through bronchitis or a sprained ankle given rest, medicine and a license to complain. Influenza is different, because I'm afraid of it. If you have it, no offense, but I'm afraid of you, too. Flu is serious business. A friend whose Christmas holiday was derailed when she got so sick she had to be quarantined is recovering, but the doctor warned her to expect a lingering cough for weeks. Over the weekend, Methodist Hospital's emergency room became so swamped with flu patients that it had to close its doors to all but the most desperately ill patients. To date, 11 people have died of influenza in Dallas County this season, which typically runs from October to April.   Continue reading...