The Taming of the Flu

In my other life (you know, before I had kids) I decided at one point it might be a good idea to actually try to make money doing the acting thing in addition to volunteering my time in 99-seat theatre. So I took the plunge and did extra work; the best money in extra work is in commercials. My first job in the commercial world was for a product which I thought no one would use. We shot all day at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles in front of a make-shift automatic teller machine - the subject was germs. Oh, those grimy, filthy germs you might get from touching the buttons on the machine right after someone else and catch you-know-not-what. I had an immediate eye roll going - like who the heck was going to buy this product? It was so over the top!

That product was Purell. And you know what, I just purchased me five bottles of that there stuff the other day (well, actually I bought the generic version at Ralphs because it had a higher alcohol content and was - as my mother would say - "the right price"). Yup. Had to eat my words almost 16 years later. I did say to never say never, right? You see, Fall has hardly just begun and I've already been dealing with colds - I kind of feel like I'm on the cold merry-go-round with never ending cold symptoms for myself minus the merry feeling. Then the kids finally came down with a cold.

This is a huge ordeal in our family. For a lot of reasons. First, if any of us gals get sick in the family I have to hear my husband's immediate and loud grumbling and complaining about how he can't afford to get sick - I understand; his Blackberry is constantly buzzing. We depend on him for the bacon. He's got to be on his game (he's self-employed) and there are no sick days off for him. I really hate the complaining, though. Mainly because some empathy first would be nice, you know? Second, I totally get something awfully close to PTSD from remembering when my kids were little and spending entire nights for days on end walking around with a sick baby/child because they were so miserable (that was before we finally figured out that a cold mist humidifier is a total godsend.) Third, my oldest girl had pneumonia for the second time last winter (the first time in first grade) and let me tell you, that's scary. So, my husband and I (being the super-emotionally intense people we are) totally flip out inside (and, okay, a little on the outside) whenever anyone is sick.

Before I had children I rarely ever got sick. I had a really healthy constitution. And I'd never really been worried about germs. Now, when someone sends their snotty nosed child over to my house or I hear someone sneezing, I freak out. Like, really, your kid is constantly sneezing and coughing and their nose is running - um, could you please not send her over to my kids' house to play? If I figure this out after the kid has already arrived, I am known for sending the kid back home. Sometimes these situations can't be helped, and sometimes I am the culprit and don't even know one of my kids is sick until later on (illnesses always seem to really come on during the late afternoon or evenings - why is that?); if I've been with friends and my child later becomes sick, I call everyone to apologize and give them the heads-up so they can take whatever precautions they like to take. Some people are relaxed about it; others go into high gear.

I've turned into a high-gear kinda gal. So, hence, the hand sanitizer. And yet, I am not really the healer type interested in medical modalities; I don't carry homeopathic remedies around with me, nor do I know all sorts of alternative healing methods -  heck, I don't even carry Band-aids in my purse (I always admire moms who do; I just can't seem to get my act together.) No one prepared me for this aspect of mothering. In my family, you got 7-Up and Saltine crackers and some Robitussin. No herbal remedies. No humidifier. My family was the generic American type of family. Standard 70's and 80's fare. You did what the doctor said (which was usually prescribing antibiotics.) My mom was really big on germs (her Master's was in epidemiology) but I remember her worrying more about food spoiling than about washing hands. Or, maybe I just never really paid attention to the hand washing part as I now remember she used to put in those little hand wipes in our lunches that I don't think I used. Yeah, I probably wasn't paying attention.

I'd rather not use over-the-counter medicines or any type of prescription medicine unless truly, truly necessary - like when it has become obvious there is no other choice. I definitely believe in the body's amazing ability to heal itself. By taking good care of our bodies and taking precautions hopefully we can ward off many illnesses; and when we do succumb to illness, giving ourselves and our families tender loving care is essential in healing. But, there is an art to healing and a core set of knowledge that's helpful to obtain - both for prevention and for healing. Since natural remedies and healing techniques are not something that has been handed down to me from my family (nor my husband's) and I don't have a natural aptitude for any of this, this is something I have to learn. I find it a little overwhelming. Just trying to get everyone to wash their hands multiple times per day has become my new job. I feel like the Hand-Sanitizer General.

I've been doing a little research and talking with friends trying to figure out how to make this year better. I've looked at conventional medical wisdom and more natural oriented approaches. This summer I took my oldest daughter (the one who has had the pneumonia) to see Dr. Lauren Feder who is an MD who also specializes in homeopathy. I hadn't had any experience with homeopathy (and my husband thinks the whole thing is whoo-haw) but I really felt compelled to do something for my daughter to boost her immune system and do whatever I could to protect her health.

A homeopathic visit felt a little like a therapy session - the doctor wants to know every single aspect of your life: who you are, your past history (birth, etc.) what your interests are, how you feel about events, etc. Then based on this, she prescribes a remedy. Dr. Feder also steered us towards Gemmotherapy which were are using this fall/winter to prevent and treat illness. Frankly, it's reassuring to have a medical professionally trained in both conventional and natural ways of treatment. Dr. Feder also has recommendations on her website for preventing colds and the flu. The only thing I kind of wonder about is the recommendation to avoid swimming during the fall/winter because the year we swam during the fall and winter was actually the one year that we didn't get sick at all (I am thinking the pool acted like one big Neti pot - no virus could possibly survive the public pool chemicals.)

So these are the strategies I am trying out this year in our family:

1. Washing our hands - a lot, especially when we walk in the front door (we weren't really doing this enough I am embarrassed to admit.) I also have hand sanitizer in each car, my purse and by the computer (no one can even touch the keys until they've doused up.) My kids think I'm nuts.
2. Taking pro-biotics and trying to eat more foods that contain these type of healthy organisms: yogurt, kefir, miso soup. I like saurkraut, but no one else in my family does, so that's out.
3. Using a saline nasal spray and then blowing our noses before bed: I really don't want to do the Neti pot - I'm sure it's better for you, but it seems a real pain in the you-know-what which means it will never get done. My youngest found the saline spray funny and each person gets their own with their name on it.
4. Drinking hot tea in the morning - good for creating a warm moist environment beneficial to the sinus area and for washing away any bad mucous that crept upon us during the night. My husband and I drink tea in the morning anyways - I am trying to entice the girls to enjoy some kind of herbal tea before breakfast. 
5. Using Gemmotherapy: The girls are taking Briar Rose and Lithy Tree once a week for prevention and have special instructions from the doctor if they get sick. Heck, I really should probably be taking the adult version, myself. Will look into that this week. (Don't know why I forget about myself).
6. Wearing slippers/socks in the house. Keeping the feet warm was a new one for me; actually, I need to get the oldest daughter and myself some slippers first - she outgrew hers and mine got chewed up by the dog. We have wood floors, so this is probably a good idea. Planning on taking care of that this week.
7. Eating lots of fruits and vegies - the girls would rather eat ice cream, but I'm going to try to make sure we have enough. The thirteen-year-old seems to have a sudden disdain for "healthy foods" and a penchant for whatever I would deem not healthy as a form of independent thinking -- wish me luck.
8. Getting plenty of fresh air and exercise - the girls generally get enough and when we go to Topanga to work with the horses (part of oldest daughter's volunteer work) we get a great boost of both, but I have got to figure out an exercise plan for myself - even if it's just walking around the block (this is every mom's lament is it not?)
9. Going to bed early - The time change and the darker evenings help here - they literally invite an earlier bedtime and act as a reminder to slow down during this part of the season. The youngest is easy; the teen - more challenging as she somehow now wakes up in the evening - go figure. For me, no blogging or Internet late into the night this winter. In bed by 10:00 p.m. is my goal. (Hopefully this will have more success than New Year's Resolutions.)

I am praying that with these endeavors we can lessen our chances of getting colds and avoid the flu. If we get a little something - well, tender loving care is the most important thing; a loving touch goes a long way in promoting healing. I think we always remember how we were treated when we were ill because we are vulnerable during this time and really need thoughtful, caring attention. I really learned the power of this healing attention from my husband who cared for me so tenderly one year when I got the flu.

An article on how doctors keep the cold and flus away, brought up chicken soup as a wonderful old-fashioned remedy. Homemade soup has all the right ingredients to make our family members feel better, plus it's filled with loving energy - can't get that store-bought! Here is our family version:

Organic Chicken Soup/Stock 

1 organic chicken, cut in parts or whole
2 stalks of celery, cut in thirds
2 carrots, cut in thirds
2 onions, quartered
1 or 2 leeks, cut in big chunks (including some of the green stalk)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut in half
1 tomato, quartered
3 - 5 whole cloves of garlic
Handful of parsley, including the stems
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. of thyme
1 1/2 to 2 tsp. Pink Himalayan Salt 

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water; bring to a boil over high then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain broth into a bowl. The chicken meat can be removed from the bone and used in the soup or saved for another meal. The broth can be enjoyed by itself. Or, alternatively, you can slice a couple of fresh carrots and celery and add to some of the broth in a smaller pan, cook through and add some of the chicken meat and noodles or rice for a more substantial chicken soup. I also like to freeze some of the extra stock once it has cooled. We discovered that Pink Himalayan Salt is absolutely the secret ingredient that brought the flavor of the chicken stock to a new level. Enjoy!

Wishing you good health this season! Please feel free to share your prevention tips and family remedies...