The world celebrated Mother's Day on May 12, 2024, but unfortunately, our family couldn't join in the festivities. A flu outbreak was spreading rapidly, affecting schools and many households, including ours. While the kids and I managed to stay healthy, my husband wasn't as fortunate. He caught a severe case of the flu and had to be hospitalized for three days, starting on Mother's Day weekend. This unexpected illness meant we missed out on celebrating Mother's Day with everyone else.
My husband started to feel unwell on Friday, May 10, but he still went to work as usual. Despite his discomfort, he went on duty at midnight on May 11 for a scheduled system maintenance at his workplace. He returned home around 4:30 AM, feeling fatigued and feverish. I advised him to take two fever-reducing pills, which he did before going to bed for the rest of the morning.
His fever persisted throughout the day, and he only woke up to drink water and eat. Initially, we thought it might be COVID-19, but his test came back negative. He also complained of a sore throat and muscle aches, particularly in his lower back. Given the severity of his symptoms, I began to suspect it was the flu, as this wasn't the first time our family had dealt with it. I encouraged him to stay hydrated and take fever-reducing pills to manage his symptoms while remaining quarantined in the room.
The kids and I went about our daily routine, making sure to keep them away from their dad.
However, in the early morning of May 12 (Mother's Day), my husband woke me up and asked me to drive him to the ER. He was feeling extremely dizzy and experiencing severe back pain. His fever was still raging, nearing 40°C.
After quickly changing my clothes and packing the necessary items, I drove him to a nearby private hospital. Although private medical services are quite pricey, I wasn't too worried about the cost because my husband has insurance coverage from his employer in addition to his personal insurance. The ER was relatively empty except for several patients and 2 hospital staff who were manning the registration counter. The registration process was smooth, and after filling out a couple of forms, my husband was immediately seen by a doctor. He was quickly hooked up to an IV drip and given medication to reduce his pain and fever.
The blood test results came back in about an hour, confirming our suspicions: it was the dreaded Influenza A. While waiting for his insurance "Guaranteed Letter" (GL) to be approved, he rested in one of the beds. I knew it would take a couple of hours for the insurance company to process his application. It was 6 AM, and I was still sleepy, so after ensuring he was alright, I headed home to rest.
After resting, I spent the rest of the morning cleaning and disinfecting the house. Honestly, I was relieved that my husband was admitted to the hospital because I knew the doctors would take good care of him. And I was right; when I visited him later that day, he was feeling much better. The doctor had administered the flu antiviral medicine, Tamiflu, to reduce the severity of his symptoms. Unfortunately, due to the anxiety and stress, his blood pressure was on the higher side.
For the next three days, my routine revolved around taking care of the kids, shuttling them to and from school, and commuting to the hospital. There was hardly any time for myself, and by the end of each day, I was thoroughly exhausted.
I made a promise to myself that I would celebrate Mother's Day once my husband recovered from the flu. However, that opportunity only arose on May 22, more than a week after my husband was discharged from the hospital.
For our belated Mother's Day celebration, we kept it simple and meaningful. I'm not one for fancy extravagance; spending quality time together and enjoying good food is more than enough for me. We decided to have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Sushi King. It was a special treat for my son as well, who is a big fan of sushi. He got to indulge in all his favorite dishes, and we all enjoyed the opportunity to be together and share a meal.
As the family indulged in sushi, I treated myself to a special beef teppanyaki set meal accompanied by rice, miso soup, chawan mushi (tofu), and ice-cold green tea. It was a satisfying and wholesome meal, although I found the chawan mushi a bit too salty for my taste, so I passed it over to my son, who enjoyed it so much.
After lunch, my husband and I took a selfie to commemorate the occasion. While it was just a simple Mother's Day lunch, what mattered most to me was that my husband had made a complete recovery from the flu. On our way home, we even stopped to have the kids get their flu shots. The flu outbreak had been rampant in their schools, with many sick kids absent and some even hospitalized, just like my husband. While we can't completely avoid catching the bug, I now have peace of mind knowing that my kids are vaccinated and their risk of experiencing severe flu symptoms is reduced.
I think it's not too late to wish all amazing moms on the HIVE-verse a Happy Belated Mother's Day 💃🍻🎉
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