Christmas Coughing

Last year I kept getting colds - I do seem prone to catching them with my asthma. As a result I delayed getting my flu jab, again something my Doctors always get me to have due to me having asthma.

Despite having a cold (which I'd been told before wasn't ideal for having the vaccination) the doctor told me it was fine and proceeded to give me both a flu and pneumonia jab.

I was really ill last year and had a whooping style cough and had to have lots of time off as I was so sick.

So far this year I haven't had my flu jab and have been considering not having it this winter season. Someone I know who is also asthmatic told me she's always been told the flu jab isn't good for you if you have asthma!

So what is right?

Well, my fiancé was ill all last week with a bad cough, throat etc and I kept feeling like I was getting it and then I was fine.

However, lo and behold I've now caught it. 

We had a great but busy weekend and my voice started to go on Saturday night, I thought from too much alcohol and the late night to be honest. 

I then woke up Sunday with a killer of a hangover and couldn't really speak. 

Again, I put it all down to the late nights and struggled through the day. We had my fiancé's parents round and were taking them out for a thank you meal. By the time we got home my voice was a squeak again.

Now I'm on my second day of resting and dosing up at home. It's my last week at work for the year so it's rubbish timing and of course it's the festive season so I had social plans lined up last night and tonight which are now messed up.

Thursday is our work Christmas party too.

As you can imagine I'm not a happy bunny.

I'm also praying now that I've not got what others have had, as people are telling me they've had it for three weeks!

Hosting Christmas Day and a nice two weeks off planned does not combine well with being ill. I'll be fuming if I'm ill now until the end of the year! 

Keeping everything crossed it shifts soon. 

As nice as it is lying in bed and on my sofa watching daytime TV, the novelty soon wears off! And coughing every time I speak or laugh or pretty much move is not exactly making me smile either! 

So what are your thoughts on the flu jab?  Good or bad? Do I get it when I'm better or try a winter without and see how I fare?

Festive fluster

This evening I am going Christmas shopping. With my fiancé. In Lakeside (local shopping centre that is always packed normally)

Recipe for disaster right?

Add to that, my partner is unwell at the moment and is not in the best of moods. I’ve been to work all day and I feel like I’m catching his germs.

We must be mad right?

I’ll let you know how we get on, but I wanted to share as I wondered if others have the same dilemmas I always do with Christmas?

I get into this massive panic over Christmas presents and cards – everyone else seems to be super on top of buying them/writing them/sending them and I haven’t even started.

So then I go on a mad dash to get started and I go a bit mad.

I bought my cards last week and one evening I then got them all written and the next day got stamps and posted them as soon as I could. My family cards I wrote and have been pestering my other half to give to his family non-stop ever since.

Then of course it’s panicking over Christmas presents. I blame you lot out there, those people who get things in the Summer and publicly announce to everyone on social media how organised you’ve been.

The rest of us then end up in a total panic and feel guilty until we too sort out the festive purchases.

We got started on the present shopping and got quite a way through and our list. I started to feel quite proud. But then we stopped.

My stressing out restarted, hence now we are going to a shopping centre tonight which is going to be crammed full of people (not to mention the likely traffic jams there and back). I may even go to Westfield (nearer me at work) after work tomorrow evening too if needed.

The joke is? When I’ve spoken to people now about it, everyone seems to be saying how organised I am and they haven’t even started?!

Where are these people earlier in the month/year when you witness the smug organised ones??

We’re (read me) hosting Christmas Day at our new house this year too so I’ve just realised this week I need to buy games, drink, nibbles and a whole lot more. That will have to be next as I can’t face tackling both just yet.

So off to Lakeside we go, let’s hope we’re successful on the trip or god help my stress levels!

Get your priorities right

Have you ever noticed how people’s ideas of priorities and what’s really important can differ so much?

For many the most important thing in life is family – they should always come first.

Then there are things such as health and making the most of life.

How do you decide what should take priority and is truly important?

Is there really a right or wrong?

I, for example, feel family always comes first and it should do. Life is too short and you should always be there for each other.

Others it seems do not feel the same way.

What do you do though in these situations and what should you do? Should we maintain a life of biting our tongue so as to keep the peace and harmony amongst family and friends.

Or should we be open and honest and say it as it is?

Are people often what we see as selfish as they don’t know any better or have just got their priorities muddled?

For example what would you do in the following scenarios:

Do everything for other people, but not be there to support your family members?
Enjoy an active social life as you’re on your own, but never make time to see family?
Spend money on material things, or think about others around you who you could help?
Check in with other people or just go to them when you need something?
Take the time to think about gifts/conversations or go for the quick and easy option?

Notice a pattern here? Hm, me too.

As we approach Christmas and are now in the festive season, this should be the time for giving. Sharing, caring and being kind to all, right?

So why do some people find this time of year it’s actually more appropriate to think of number one? But when it suits pull the sympathy card out?

Does this ring any bells for anyone? On talking to some people this seems more common than not.

The thing I get stuck on however is whether to pull people up on these lapses in judgement and behaviour, or to let them work their way through said weird spell and ignore it until they’re back to a more normal self?

Any advice would be much appreciated? That’s if you’ve got time to spare for me of course…