So what is the point of getting the flu shot, if you are actually going to get the flu? I’m not talking about a couple days after getting the shot and getting a little sick. I’m talking about 6 weeks after getting the shot.

Over the last 10 years I think I have been sick no more than 5 times. Never so sick that I missed work. That was until yesterday.

I realized that there was no way I would be able to function at work. Between the nausea, light headedness (is that a word?), and the hot and cold sweats… I had to focus on getting back to 100 percent as quickly as possible. It’s one thing to struggle through the day when your not feeling great, but circumstances have changed and not only did I have Matthew to look after, but Anne had been sick since Monday.

She had it a lot worse off than me. She didn’t even feel she could leave work and trust herself to drive home… that was, until she threw up.  Once she did make it home, the couch was as far as she got.  At this point I still felt well and was caring for her and putting the little guy to bed.  I asked her if she wanted me to help her up to bed, more than once.

I had my own motivation for getting her upstairs though. Every one to two minutes it seemed like she was moaning or groaning in pain. After about a half hour it started to get under my skin, but of course it didn’t seem like the right time to tell her.  I did however mention it to her the following afternoon when she was feeling a bit better and had finally stopped throwing up.  We had a little laugh about it… and then it wasn’t even 3 hours later when I had to apologize for making fun of her…. because now I found myself lying in bed at 8pm bundled up in a fleece sweatshirt and buried under the covers (after some emergency “runs” to the bathroom), I felt like every time I moved any muscle in my body – I was now letting out a moan and groan.

Without a doubt, I lucked out and didn’t have it nearly as bad off as Anne; however with both of us being sick at the same time… it did present a challenge for caring for Matthew. There was a moment when I was trying to put together a bottle for him overnight. I had him over my shoulder and was using my other hand to put the formula together. As I realized I was spilling powder all over the floor instead of landing it in the container… I felt like I was seconds away from passing out. I ran over to the chair to catch my breath and compose myself.

After about a minute, I looked over at Matthew still on my shoulder and realized he had stopped crying.  He was now looking at me with his head cocked off to the side like a puppy.  In that moment I felt like he knew I needed more help than he did.

We managed to make it through this round, and hopefully the flu shots that we actually received will work their magic for the remainder of the season.

By the way… did I mention that Anne had it worse off than me?