It’s a Cold...It’s the Flu...It’s...It’s Nothing

A few nights ago I suddenly awoke from my sleep, rolled over and saw that it was four o’clock.

I was so tired, but not so tired that I couldn’t worry. Yes, the moment I awoke I began to worry. About two things.

First, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep and would be extremely tired at work the next day. Then, I noticed my throat was hurting, so I began to worry I was getting sick.

Was I worried a cold was upon me? No, of course not. I had a cold last month, so my first suspicion was that it must be the flu. Not only was my throat hurting, but I also felt warm and very weak (like you do right before you get sick). Plus, I hadn’t gotten the flu shot, so it was the only logical explanation, right?

The next morning I didn’t feel horrible, but I also didn’t feel good. I rushed to the computer and searched WebMD (a favorite Website of the worrywarts I know) for flu symptoms.

Fever? Nope. Headache? Nope. Coughing? Nope. Aches and pains? Only a little. Weak and tired? Omg! Yes! Extreme exhaustion? Um, I don’t think so.

Despite the fact that I answered most of the questions negatively, I still thought I was coming down with the flu. I was tired and had a few aches and pains, so I thought it was only a matter of time before the flu attacked my body.

All day long at work I worried about coming down with the flu. I loaded up on Cold-Eeze and confided in fellow worrywarts at the office.

“How do you know when you’re getting the flu?” I asked one of them.

“It suddenly hits you,” she said. “You ache all over, and even wearing your clothes causes your body to hurt.”

Nope, I didn’t feel nearly that bad (thank goodness!). But I began to wonder if I should have gotten the flu shot this year. I had gotten it twice before because I was traveling abroad and didn’t want to take any risks. Of course, I had worried about the vaccine causing me to actually get the flu - or at least a little sick - but the only side effect I had was a sore arm.

Chicken noodle soup can help you feel better when you're sick. Too bad it can't help worrying.

Besides the fear of the vaccine actually causing the flu, I have heard other arguments for not getting the vaccine. Some people I know refuse to get the flu shot because they worry whatever else is included in the vaccine could harm them more than help them. There are also people who believe that vaccines are more of a moneymaker and sometimes may not even prevent the flu. Then, there is what I think is the most convincing argument: Our bodies are fascinating and built to fight off intruders. With a little vitamin C, zinc, and rest, the flu virus might be destroyed before it does any real damage.

But then, I also know people who get the flu shot every year and never have any problems with it. They say they have suffered from the flu before and never want to go through that again; the risk of getting the shot is better than the risk of getting the flu.

With so many different views on the flu shot, what is a worrywart to do?

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