These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Thursday Thrivia

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Yesterday was an icky day for me. Late morning, I began to feel blah. Not exactly sick, but .... My stomach was not really nauseated, yet it felt vaguely queasy.

So OK, I took it easy on what I ate. But by noon I was feeling ickier. And I was having, uhm, intestinal or digestive tract issues. I didn't have diarrhea, but I had to go to the bathroom several times, and it was not "normal." I just felt yuck. I kinda figured I'd eaten something that didn't set right.

I ran into Capitan today for a couple errands, and I talked to no less than four people who have had something similar in the last two or three days. A touch of flu, perhaps? And then this trivia came to my computer today:

The word “influenza” comes from the Italian influentia
because people used to believe that the influence of the
planets, stars, and moon caused the flu—for only such
universal influence could explain such sudden and
widespread sickness.

The single deadliest flu pandemic in history was the Spanish
flu pandemic
during 1918-1919. Occurring in the three waves
of increasing lethality, the Spanish flu killed more people
in 24 weeks than AIDS did in 24 years. It also killed more
people in one year than smallpox or the Black Plague did in
50 years.

Flu viruses can live up to 48 hours on hard, nonporous
surfaces such as stainless steel and up to 12 hours on
cloth and tissues. They can remain infectious for about
one week at human body temperature, over 30 days at
freezing temperatures, and indefinitely at temperatures
below freezing.

Air travel has significantly increased the speed with which
diseases can spread. Most of the world’s great cities are
now within a few hours of each other. As SARS showed, a
virus that is in Hong Kong one day can be carried to any
point in Southeast Asia within three or four hours, to
Europe in 12 hours, and to North America in 18 hours.
Nearly 1.5 billion passengers travel by air every year.

Some historians blame President Woodrow Wilson’s (1856-
1924) lingering case of the Spanish flu as the reason he
unexpectedly caved into stringent French demands for the
harsh peace terms that decimated Germany which, in turn,
led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and WWII (1939-1945).

Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk (who later developed the
polio vaccine) developed the first flu vaccine in 1944.
These early vaccines often contained impurities that
produced fever, headaches, and other side effects. The flu
vaccine in its various forms has been used for over 60
years and over 90 million Americans get a flu shot each
year.

If it were never worse than yesterday, I could stand it. I still don't want it, however. I agree with the quote:

"If I had my way I'd make health catching instead of disease."

Robert Ingersoll, (1833-1899), Civil War veteran, American political
leader, and orator during the Golden Age of Freethought,
noted for his broad range of culture and his defense of
agnosticism
.

7 comments:

  1. Yuck to the flu we have to be very careful with Sarah and the flu she gets the shot every year the thing is when she gets a virus like the flu she develops pneumonia. I hope you feel better. Interesting trivia

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  2. My brother reported the same thing the other day. I want it to stay away from me.

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  3. Hah- I hope you've caught some health by now! I bet you have a mild virus that is going around where you live, and I bet that you're catching better health already! ("Flu" sounds so daunting! Viruses can be very mild. And they go away without help.)

    Hugs,
    Betty
    (I have fixed my commenting issue, I believe, thanks to you.)

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  4. I do feel better, Bobbie. Yeah, watch Sarah, because the flu will probably continue to be a problem for a while from what I hear.

    MJ, it wasn't awful, although I never like being sick, especially if it entails a lot of bathroom time. Keep saying the keep-away mantra.

    Betty, I was actually OK by bedtime last night, but you know how you usually feel kinda tired and wrung out. I'm fishing for good health, and waving a butterfly net, too, just in case!

    I'm glad I had your email. It stinks for something like that to happen and not have an alternative way to contact a person.

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  5. I am sorry you weren't feeling well. Hope you are better today. I tried calling you last night, but there was no answer. If you didn't want to talk to me, you could have just said so. :)

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  6. Hope you're back to your peachy self. I can muddy through head and chest congestions but an intestinal virus wipes me out completely.

    I remember reading some letters written around the time of the Spanish flu. It was a very scary time for people.

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  7. Caroline, oh, wah, wah, wah! You'll know if I don't wanna talk to you! LOL! Silly goose!

    Dave, I'm much better now, almost as if nothing ever happened. I agree, I don't like any kind of being sick, but the intestinal stuff is especial insidious! Yeah, flu stinks. I['ve rarely had a serious problem (KNOCK ON WOOD!!), but last Jan I had a 18 or 24 hours kind of thing that scared the bejeebers outta me. Being alone when you're that sick is not a fun thing.

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!