The Masque of the Red Death

Many of you will probably remember the title of this post as the title of an Edgar Allen Poe short story. In that story, Prince Prospero hides from the plague, known as the "Red Death," inside his abbey. He and many other nobles hold a masquerade ball while they are in hiding. Unfortunately, a mysterious figure appears dressed as the Red Death and one by one each of the guests die, including Prince Prospero. They could not hide from the Red Death.

The Masque of the Red Death is how I now remember my birthday party last weekend. Only, the Red Death is really the Flu. That horrible, highly contagious, wicked flu that's going around. Considering the number of my friends who have it, I think my birthday party may have been a Petri dish in disguise. 

I myself have been home from work with the flu since Wednesday. I have been coughing, sneezing, aching, moaning, headachy, flat on my back sleeping 18-20 hours a day, and basically an all around a pleasure to be near.

I called my doctor yesterday to find out if I should go in for the flu, or if it would just run its course. After asking me my symptoms, they told me I should come in. I have asthma (nerd alert, I know), and it has been compromised by the flu. So I went in today and the doctor told me that this flu is brutal (no duh). She also told me to stay quarantined in one room if possible because the flu is so contagious (for up to a week). She took my throat culture and asked me to drop it off at the lab on my way out. While at the lab, I was asked to wear a face mask. That made me feel good about myself.

My doctor told me that if my test comes back positive (and she thinks it will), she is going to write a prescription for Tamilflu for those I live with so they can have a fighting chance against it. It's too late for me, she said.

And just for the record, I got the flu shot this year. 

Anyone else out there have the flu? What are you doing to get through it?

UPDATE: the test came back positive. It's the flu.