It's A Matter Of.....Illness

Okay, no lovely pictures or catchy titles.  In all honesty, I haven't felt up to it for while.  Why you ask.....because I have been sick.

"So what?" you may say.  Actually, if the shoe were on the other foot, I would say the same thing.  However, I rarely get sick and if I do, it is very short-lived.

Enter my recent bout with a cold/flu/something bad.  I have had no energy, little sleep, and other fun symptoms I chose not to list.  My days were filled with trying to muster enough energy to get up and get on with my long list of things that were waiting for my attention. This worked for a while.

Then it happened, my body said 'enough'!  I had to stay home and stay in bed. This was not only for a few hours, but for days!  This never has been something I traditionally deal with.  Yes, I actually had to use some of my vacation days to recover. Well, I should say recover to the point of having enough stamina to get out of bed and claw my way through a day of work and then come home and hit my pillow.

Finally, I feel like my old self.  I even did yard work yesterday!  It was with a lovely cough, but I actually put my hands in dirt, planted, weeded, and worked in my compost bin.  I came back in the house and crashed for a couple of hours.

So, what does this have to do with anything?  It has made me think of what I might do if I or other loved ones were really sick and could not function as they normally would if we were in a time of challenge or crisis.  I decided to make a mental inventory of things I need.....with most of them in my storage room.

Medications:

I used up many OTC medications to help me function.  I went through quite a few and I didn't have to trudge to the store and purchase any (or expose anyone).  I was glad that I had them on hand and only had to trudge to my kitchen for most of them.  

Hygiene:

Yes, I really mean Hygiene.  I had enough laundry detergent, fabric softener, cleaners, toilet paper etc to address this aspect of being sick.  Again, I only had to trudge to my Laundry room etc to address these needs.

Food:

I had enough of everything on hand to make meals for myself or our little family. We were wanting for anything.  Having my Food Storage and the knowledge and skills to use it proved to be a great blessing. 

Entertainment:

Okay, this may sound petty, but I was bored!  My body may have been under-the-weather but my mind would not shut off.  I read, watched, etc to keep feeding my racing mind.  I had plenty of 'stuff' to fill that need, maybe too much.  I will have to think about this aspect.  However, I was glad I could feed my need for input and information.

Patience:

This is something I have had to work on quite a bit over the past two years. Life throws you curve balls out-of-the-blue and learning to catch or dodge requires a measure of patience.  I was bored....really bored.  I wanted my recovery to hurry-up, but in the end I had to be patient.  I could have done some significant complaining, but to what end?  I could have fussed on social media, on the phone, etc....but again to what end?  I did tell Rooster Senior that I did not feel well a few times. He offered to help, but really didn't know what to do for me....and neither did I.  I wasn't sick enough to go the Doctor, but I felt drained of energy, ached, coughed, etc.  It just didn't seem appropriate to complain....because I was being forced to rest.  I decided to see it for what it was, a time to rest and recuperate....something I don't do that often.   

Spiritual:

I took time to think about 'things'.  I read, listened and sometimes watched Spiritually themed information. (Remember that need to feed my racing mind!)  I had time to actually listen to what my Heavenly Father may have been trying to tell me for a while.  I need to ensure that I allow myself to have quiet time on a daily basis to listen.

Gratitude:

Although I feel like I really haven't accomplished much in the areas I usually address, I am grateful to be feeling better. I am grateful to have had the things I needed on hand and I am grateful my spouse showed care and concern for me.  I am grateful to have the opportunity to do things I may not have always take the opportunity to do...like rest and research.

Take Home Points....

• Preparing isn't just for big emergencies and catastrophic events. 
• I was grateful and felt peace that I had medication, etc on hand to address my needs.
• I am grateful for paid vacation!  Even though I was sick for weeks, my family did not suffer financial loss.
• I had things to feed my mind...which is a huge mental boost when you are sick.
• Taking those small steps to prepare your family are worthy of your time and financial investment.

I promise, I will be back at it soon......my energy levels are increasing each day!