唉，那是因为我感冒了。。。

幸好只是普通的cold，不是flu。没有发烧，没有咳嗽。

鼻涕，眼泪稀里哗啦的流了3天了，菊花茶，红糖姜，热汤面轮换着喝。

过了五个月有妈有老公的日子，现在终于恢复单身女又或单身妈妈的独立生活了。

捧着一大卷卫生纸，像门口迎风流泪的老太们一样，擦了流，流了擦，裹着毯子，在沙发上啃爆米花。

 

据我妈分析，这些症状是打了seasonal flu shot 的后遗症。

上周看OB归来，被告知诊所的疫苗没有了，让去附近的药店打。

先联系了walgreens，大纽约地区的疫苗早就没有了，

不过咱还有duane reade，可惜最后一天是10月22日，我紧赶慢赶还是没打上，

再就是CVS。为了抢个疫苗，大家显然做好了打硬仗的准备。

我好不容易挤上去填了个表，却被告知给孕妇打的疫苗已经没有了。。。

只好再打电话联系cvs 的 clinic，最后一批孕妇疫苗在staten island还有，

放下手中工作，冲出办公室，花了70块打车费赶到staten island打了一针。。。

然后就鼻涕眼泪的流到现在。

 

据我老公分析，打疫苗的磨难是人品守恒的结果。

送妈妈走的那天，没带眼镜的曹同学，在机场大厅的地板上捡了绿油油的100美刀。

打算下周去中国超市的时候顺带捐了，可惜还没等去超市呢，

曹妈妈的飞机由于奥巴马的到来晚点了5个小时。。。（国际航班啊，五个小时啊！！！）

曹老公的小车由于物业突然打算砍树，被迫拖走，交了150拖车费，外加15刀一天的存放费。。。（砍树啊！！！）

曹同学花了70刀奔到一个岛挨了一针，现在还鼻涕一把泪一把的还不能吃药。

 

不过不管怎么样，幸好不是2009H1N1。发些tips，希望大家都离它远远的！

 

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global
epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact
with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of
a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection,
in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development
of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in
most official communications, can be practiced:

1. Frequent hand-washing.

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part
of face.

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't
trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/
nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple
gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the
same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don
't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.


4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with
warm salt water. *blowing the
nose once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm
salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C *If
you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has
Zinc to boost absorption -- be careful & don't take too much zinc per day
-- there can be side effects

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.*Drinking
warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction.
They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where
they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.