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Practical Items
to Have on Hand For the Flu
posted by Violet
Canned soups, NOT the cream variety where you must add
milk. Just water.
Canned pudding
Bouillon
Ramen noodles
Crackers
Power bars (high energy and nutritious)
Drink LOTS of fluids. Some suggestions:
Powdered drink mix like Wyler's lemonade - it's easy to mix
Bottled juices/juice boxes (don't get frozen - you'll be too tired to
mix it)
Instant tea and coffee
Ginger ale (helps the nausea)
TREAT THE SYMPTOMS of flu. Always have stocked:
Theraflu (stuff is great. Add honey to improve the taste)
OTC cold and flu capsules (recommend Contac severe cold and flu)
Ibuprofen
Acetaminophen
Aspirin (ADULTS ONLY)
Throat spray
Kleenex
Lip balm
Lotion for fever-dried skin
Have your vaporizer, if you use one, where it's easy to reach. Keep
bottled water nearby so you won't have to haul it.
Extra blankets
You may have spells where you feel better and want to get up and walk
around. DON'T. You can relapse.
After the flu: eat high-energy foods and take vitamins to build
yourself back up. It may take a month or so to do it. Be kind to
yourself.
TO AVOID INFECTION:
If somebody in the house is sick, it's probably already too late, but
you can make the attempt. Wash all surfaces well with chlorine bleach
or Lysol. The average dishwasher is hot enough to sterilize dishes, but
I always add some bleach to the water anyway. Wash linens and clothes
in hot water.
If your house has more than one bathroom, let the sick person use one
and everybody else the other one. Quarantine the patient and keep their
door shut. Dispose of trash like kleenexes separately from the rest of
the trash. Seal up their garbage bag before you leave the sickroom.
Clean their bathroom and sickroom often with the disinfectants. If the
weather is warm, air their room out .
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