You come home from class and you're tired. Not just ""after class"" tired, but tired like you just performed as Bucky at the football game and then ran up and down Bascom 40 times. You have a slight cough, chills and your only thought is hopping into bed.
Then you realize you have symptoms of that little bug going around. Yes, that bug. You diagnose yourself with ""bacon fever,"" or what UHS prefers you call H1N1, e-mail your professors and brace yourself for a few agonizing days trapped in your room.
I can't say for certain that those several days will be spent essentially chained to your bed, but my guess is that you'll get hungry during that time. So what should you reach for? Fear not, my potentially pig-infested friend, I have the answers. My advice: cut out this column and, when your temperature climbs and you get delusional, reach for it.
First and foremost, eat anything that will make you feel better, if only for yourself. If chocolate chips are the only sustenance to bring you out of a bad mood, go with that over steamed veggies. Nothing is as torturous as being forced to eat what you don't want. After all, you're in college now—so eat what you want. You can always spend some time at the SERF once you're back on your feet if you feel guilty.
Speaking of medical professionals, my friend, a Certified Nursing Assistant, told me that doctors strongly suggest a clear-liquid diet. It's a foolproof way to keep food down and begin to replenish nutrients. This means any soda or broth you can mostly see through. Think 7-Up, Sprite, chicken broth or—if you're feeling adventurous—chicken noodle soup. These kinds of foods are easier on your stomach and are therefore easier to digest when your immune system is compromised.
Once a few days have gone by and you feel begin to feel better, you can graduate to more ""normal"" foods. Hot beverages such as tea and coffee (decaffeinated will irritate your stomach less) can soothe soreness while tasting delicious. In that same vein, ice cream can feel great on an irritated throat if you've been coughing like a banshee.
A few words of warning: DO NOT EAT ANYTHING RED, or that is mostly red. This includes red soda, juice and Jell-o (any other color of Jell-o is completely legit). The thought here is that if you get worse and have to go into UHS again, the doctor will want to know if you have other symptoms, and the red dye can make that difficult.
Since this is a column aimed at those with H1N1 and those who will eventually get it, I have one thing we can all use when we're feeling ""compromised"" at the end of the day or night. Ginger ale has a calming effect on the stomach in the same way clear liquids do, except this wonderful drink is good for any morning when you've been partying a little too hard and need that extra pick-me-up before you begin the reading you're so behind on.
Whether you get sick or not this fall, always remember to wash your hands, stay home if you're sick and, most importantly, follow these guidelines. If you do, swine flu will (hopefully) become a distant memory.
Feeling achy? Got the chills? E-mail Claire your story of swine flu survival at crwiese@wisc.edu.
