Drink Lots of Water!
It is amazing how much water you lose while perspiring from a fever! I drank a gallon a day (literally) and was still getting dehydrated. All of your body’s defense mechanisms use water to remove the dead viruses and bacteria from your body. All that mucous is made from water... so you need a lot of plain water to keep up with the extra demands.
Sleep, sleep, sleep...
With that H1N1 flu, you won’t feel like hopping around anyway! I could barely stay awake during the fever days. Your body heals most when you are in sleep mode; when other body functions are at rest the immune system is allowed to use your full energy to fight off the virus.
Eat those “bitters”
Goldenseal, garlic, grapefruit seed extract, elderberry extract, and the like, are natural antiviral substances. Antibiotics only kill bacteria, and “the flu” is a viral infection; so the only medicines that can do much to fight viruses are natural options such as these.
“Feed a cold; starve a fever.”
I think that saying is backwards. If you have an extended fever like with H1N1 it is probably a good idea to eat something everyday to keep up your strength. Applesauce was my favorite - takes little energy to prepare and swallow. Eat something or you’ll end up like a stick!
Fresh Air and Sunshine
Climb out of bed and try to get some fresh air and sunshine. Thankfully we had a nice warm (with the help of a blanket) sunny day when I was starting to recover. I fell asleep in the patio chair and felt so much better when I woke up! The body needs lots of oxygen for all of it’s processes, and sunshine is a known healing agent.
Pray, man-’tis mortal
Whenever I get sick like this, every ugly thing I have ever seen, ever repetitive song, every fear, every nasty thought - all comes into my mind and cycles over and over in a horrible fever dream. Sickness is a breeding ground for depression and self pity. Only our Creator and Great Physician can heal these infirmities. And “He hears the prayers of the faint... and him that has no helper”!
Inch back into Life
Even though you begin to feel better, remember to be temperate. Don’t overdo it. Slowly get used to eating regular meals. You’ll have to exercise to get your strength back for sure! But don’t try to do it all in one day. Relapses are not worth it!
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