I'm pretty keen to recognising when I'm coming down with the "crud" whether it be the common cold or the more sadistic influenza. In the states where I grew up the term flu was never to be confused with an ear, nose, throat, or chest infection. While these ailments are by no means pleasant they lack that high fever, hallucination inducing, body pain from head to toe, I might actually be dying essence that the real flu is associated with.
I say real flu because where I now live in Malaysia flu is used to describe everything from allergies, to the common cold and even just feeling "heaty" which requires an entirely different post altogether. While incorrect medically speaking to confuse any of the aforementioned with the flu it does offer an interesting perspective that is at the core of the eastern philosophy of medicine. Namely, that lifestyle cannot be overlooked as it often is in the west and that the germs are only the carrier of the message which is to take better care of oneself. You see in the west it's all about tests and diagnosis, and while I'm in no way saying the east lacks in this approach it's not the end all that it is in the west. In the west if you have the flu you are screwed and there is nothing that can be done except to manage the fever, which in actuality is the bodies most potent weapon against any infection.
Here in Asia the flu not being widely identified as some more serious or impossible to expedite health issue there is a cultural mind over matter empowerment combined with a plethora of natural remedies.
At this point I'd like to say please excuse my generalizations, I'm aware these are my perceptions and do not apply to every household the world over depending on the hemisphere one resides in.
That being said having spent a great deal of time in the east and west I believe my observations are mostly accurate and the proof is in the pudding.
Just 48 hours ago I barely was able to drive home from work, I spent that first night in a nightmarish inbetween waking and dreaming state writhing in pain and drenched in sweat.
That night I began forcing myself to drink vast amounts of different concoctions all warm or hot containing ginger, turmeric,honey,lemon,apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and some vitamins for good measure..Note, never did I put all these ingredients in any one drink. I made them palatable and mixed only what I felt like at the time. After 24 hours the fever broke and the pain had subsided and I was about 80% back to health, after 48 hours and plenty of bed rest I'm feeling 98% ! The malaise is gone I feel well enough to go conquer a night session at the studio, ironically producing a song for a big name cold/flu medicine I did not use..
In conclusion, whether my return to the world of the living is attributed to my regimen or placebo I don't care ! Mind over matter, I don't mind because you don't matter! Not you the reader, the flu, yes I'm talking to the flu.. 😎