Wednesday, October 21, 2009

How to avoid the Zombie Flu, er, H1N1, if you don't trust the vaccine like certain paranoid individuals

This is kind of remedial, but I know people forget to take care of themselves. Especially Moms. I'm pretty sure that's why the H1N1 has been doing away with otherwise healthy women; they were too damn busy taking care of everybody else.

So! Listen up, class:

1. Wash your hands. Sing Happy Birthday while doing so. I don't know why your hands need to be serenaded, but it's in all the literature. Possibly your singing will scare the germs away.

Don't ask me about hand sanitizers, because you'll just get a rant about breeding new supergerms that are going to garrotte us in our sleep. I'm sure they're fine though.

2. Drink lots of hot liquids. Y'know, coffee with Baileys, mulled wine, hot rum toddys.

3. Ingest things that have a lot of Vitamin C. Like Screwdrivers and mimosas.

4. Gargle with salt water. It's okay, I'm sure YOU look totally dignified.

5. Rinse your nasal passages with salt water. I use a neti pot (or as hubby calls it, my "nose flute"), and have for years. I've been trying to teach my toddler, but he screams like he's being waterboarded. He's just not trying, I swear. It's like he wants to get sick.

6. And finally, if you're sick, STAY THE FUCK HOME. Quit trying to be a hero. You'll infect the rest of the office, who will infect the FedEx guy, who will show up at my house with a package and...you see where this is going, right?

Do you want to be responsible for the FedEx guy getting shot in the face because I thought he was a zombie?

No, I didn't think so. Stay healthy, everybody.

29 comments :

rachel said...

LOL, very funny... and true. My son (2 yrs old) just got over zombie flu. It wasn't too bad. Unfortunately, it's my turn and I will stay home and refuse to sign for any fed ex packages. Wouldn't want to infect the pen.

FoN said...

Your two year-old screams when you try to pour salt water through his nasal cavity? I can't imagine why.

Stacey said...

Great advice. If I follow it and still get it, I'm blaming you. ;)

Tamis said...

you actually tried a neti pot on a toddler...you are a brave woman!~

Gillian said...

What if you can't sing?

JoeyRes said...

I'm really sick of Swine Flu. This is different from being sick WITH Swine Flu. I just saw Cathy Lee Gifford read a graffic on the TV that said "even your hair would hurt" if you got Swine Flu. Having to see Cathy Lee again is bad enough! She should leave my hair out of it!

Jenni said...

This whole H1N1 things is so troubling to the neurotic (I prefer neurotic to paranoid - sounds more endearing.) I'm such a fucking worrier and in situations like this, my worry dial is off the screen. I mean, I'm worried about H1N1 (becuse Miles is so small and Oscar has a history of breathing difficulties with COLDS for crying out loud) but what's up w/the vaccine? It's being rushed and I don't like that and hasn't been widely tested. Now I have to decide which worries me more, vaccine or H1N1. My peditrician has run out of the vaccine though, so I have a couple more weeks to decide.

Frogs in my formula said...

Whew, I really feel armed now to fight the flu. Thank you, thank you.

The Mother said...

You forgot:

Wear one of THESE, just in case:

http://news.aol.com/article/gas-mask-bra-bottle-breaking-research/700654

Michele said...

For #4 could I add a little tequila and lime?

kys said...

Love it! Esp. the last one. Why do people feel the need to be out and about snotting on everyone??

Jennifer said...

I've never understood why people go to work sick. You aren't a hero. You are just making the rest of your coworkers hate you.

Caitlin said...

I've always heard that 2 repetitions of the Happy Birthday song is the length you're to wash your hands to effectively kill bacteria.

Also, a woman my husband works with came to work feeling ill after she'd been taking care of her daughter who HAD SWINE FLU. I wanted to slap that bitch. So we're on lockdown until tomorrow to ensure that we don't have the pig flu. O joy. So far, so good, so I really think we're in the clear.

♥georgie♥ said...

I am headed to the liqour store right now to hang out with the wine-os so I can get my dr Keely reccomended medicine choices...

I do not want to be responsible for a harmed fed-ex guy!

Great Post

Blogging Mama Andrea said...

Remember when I said Thor stayed home from school? Yeppers H1N1 epidemic at school! Neighbors had it too. Oh joy joy! Guess who's gonna be it's next f-in victim??

Where's the thermometor?

Angel said...

I wish that they would put my school on lockdown, We have had 6 cases, they have canceled the classes of the kids who had it for a week, but the rest of us who could have been infected bu sitting at the desks, or breathing the same room air there is no concern for.

Ice Queen said...

I know a FedEx man's death is not something I want hanging over my head. Haha

Shraddha@theselfloveproject said...

we are all sick here except hubby!

great tips!! you are sweet and funny!

Baby News said...

I was told my little guy had the flu a few weeks ago, but they didn't test him. Why didn't I make them test him! Now I'm wondering if he had it or not. I work at a community college and let me just tell you how many freakin' times I've had to hold my breathe while running to get away from the germ cloud some unhygienic student just created because he is apparently unaware of the whole "cover your f-ing mouth" concept!

Yeah, Ethan's not getting the H1N1 vaccine or the seasonal. For one, there is no seasonal to be found anywhere...for two, by the time either of them are available/had time to work, the H1N1 will be on it's way out....so they say. No one knows. Whatever. Stupid swine flu.

Melanie said...

AMEN! I'm going to link this.

NeCole@Eclectic Ecstasy said...

I'm putting on my professional biologist hat here (one of many I wear). Hand sanitizers that have alcohol as the active ingredient are fine. Bacteria and viruses have yet to develop immunity to alcohol. Avoid hand sanitizers that have triclosan or benzalkonium chloride. EHow has a great recipe for making your own hand sanitizer.

kyooty said...

My plans for not working my ass off are my best defence. I'll only work on computer and run the world and santa's sleigh through my now legally throttled internet.

Captain Dumbass said...

How is it that effin New Brunswick get the N1H1 vaccine before BC does when we have more cases of it than anyone and have had 8 deaths already? Screw you, NB!

otin said...

I always wondered about washing your hands after peeing? They say that urine is sterile and that if you were ever dying of thirst, that you should drink it, so what is the big deal if we get a few drops on our Big Mac?? LOL!

Divine Chaos said...

I'm printing out your instructions .. 'cause I don't want to be responsible for the Fed Ex guy getting shot in the face .. er .. wait .. my Fed Ex guy is a jerk ..

Desert Rose said...

I completely agree with #6..people still don't get it though.

The (Un)Experienced Mom said...

Hahaha - very well said. And I just heard today that the gargling with salt water can really help prevent it, so glad you are all for that, too.

Tamara
http://theunexperiencedmom.blogspot.com

Julia said...

I just finished TWO WEEKS, fourteen days, with a sick family with H1N1. Yes, confirmed. IT IS HELL. You'd better pull out all your arsenal and then some if you don't want to get this sucker. And if your kids get it first your doomed anyway. I lasted 11 days without getting "sick" and finally succumbed too.

Let me express from my personal experience that it's a lot easier to get the vaccine. I would have if it was available.

Casey said...

Please don't tell me what to do. Actually, we've been in quarantine for the past two days since my kids are both oozing green snot. It sucks for us.