I remember waking up on Sunday, December 16th and saying to my wife, "What the heck did I do last night?" I felt terrible. It felt like an epic hangover. Then I remembered I had one beer the night before. Certainly twelve ounces of Samuel Adams didn't make me feel like this.

The next thought was,

Holy Moly...Wynonna Judd gave me the flu!

It all came back to me as I reached for the bedside aspirin. I had been to the Grand Falls Casino the night before to welcome and introduce Wynonna Judd to the stage. We had chatted very briefly backstage. Could a flu germ have glommed onto me in our short encounter?

Probably not as I have learned that the flu bug will take between 36 and 48 hours to first rear it's ugly head. Maybe even longer according to my wife who is a nurse with Sanford Health.

Then an even worse thought..."What if I gave Wynonna the flu?" I really wasn't in the mood to make headlines today.

The most asked question I received through the next two weeks was , "Why didn't you get a flu shot?" The answer is: I did. Only ten days before getting sick. So, what gives? My doctor told me that a flu shot needs between 2 - 3 weeks to fully take hold and protect ones body. Great.

Dr. Bill Schaffner, chairman of the preventive medicine department at Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine:

The vaccine isn't a 100% guarantee that you'll be flu-free. But it can prevent the flu, and it can be beneficial even if you do get sick.

 

The flu this year is a rough one and it'll take a while to get over.  On December 21st, six days later, I remember being disappointed the Mayans were wrong in their prediction. The world didn't end today. Dang.

Overall, It took 10 days to get back work.

The best advice I can give is, if you feel like you might have the flu STAY HOME. Please don't contribute to the spread of this nasty virus. Wash hands frequently, and keep them away from your face. Use disinfectant spray daily in the house on all surfaces.

Doctors are still encouraging getting a flu shot so if you can find one, get it.

 

 

 

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