Wednesday 9 March 2011

10 years ago today

...I woke up and, before I moved, I knew it: I'd got flu. Proper flu. An attempt to roll over into a more comfortable position confirmed it - unveiled all the latent aches, pains, discomfort and downright dis-ease which had been waiting to reveal itself to my conscious person.

I'd been out with friends the previous night, to see a band play. A fantastic and rather riotous evening in full, clear recall to this day, for I was stone cold sober, and was to remain so for years. On my late-night walk to the bus stop I can remember feeling a little cold and shivery, but nothing more than minor discomfort.

Now, on waking, it must have been a Friday morning, since I was due to go and see my mother for the weekend, later that day.

I knew I wasn't well enough to go anywhere (in the event, my health kept me a virtual prisoner, in solitary confinement at that, for almost two weeks). I made two phone calls: one to my workplace to inform them that I wouldn't be going in; the other to my mother to inform her that I wouldn't be able to make it over, and that I was really sorry about it, but there was nothing I could do.

I wished her a happy 60th birthday.

9 comments:

Fire Byrd said...

Happy Birthday to your mum!
Hope that this year you are fighting fit and ready celebrate her very big day.
xx

Reading the Signs said...

Happy Birthday, Trousermother.

And Trousers - I'm impressed that you know what was going on ten years ago to the day!

trousers said...

Thanks FB, yes I'm fighting fit, certainly by comparison to 10 years ago. I'll be heading back tomorrow to see her for the weekend.
xx

Thank you too, Signs. Given the linkage between the events in question, it's hard not to remember, it was quite a significant time in a lot of ways. The flu itself, for example, seemed to definitively (symbolically at least) mark a divide between some bad old stuff and a fresh beginning.

nmj said...

I can understand you remembering, Trews. Happy Birthday to your mum! Am sure she is v much looking forward to your visit. But are you *sure* you had flu? I think you were malingering. (Of course, I am joking, I know you know you had flu, that is just a kind of ME joke which I know you will get.)

trousers said...

Thanks nmj. Thankfully my mum also appears to be regaining some energy after a recent bout of ill-health, so here's hoping it will be a pleasant weekend all round.

Nice joke too - certainly works on a number of levels :)

ejenne said...

Reminds me of the book title, "Love your disease, its making you healthy".

(I sadly can't tell you what the book was about. Despite it having been recommended to me and sitting on my shelf for 16 years Its still on the to do list!)

Anonymous said...

There's nothing like feeling ill to remind you how good it is not to feel ill. This is especially true when you get over 40 and wake up most days feeling like crap.

Montag said...

So what was the post you were trying to write on the 8th: the one for which your eyes were too bleary to see the paper?
I have a feeling that it was you were feeling a bit under the weather, but went clubbing anyway.
Probably spread the bug throughout the entire venue. Very much like The Army of the Twelve Monkeys... and La Jete.

We'll check back after 28 days.

trousers said...

Hi ejenne, lovely to see you again, and excuse the long time in replying to your posting. Sounds an interesting book, though the main thing I can relate the title to is just how cleansed, both physically and mentally, I felt when the flu had cleared up. I notice you've been posting on your blog again, must pop over soon :)

zhisou, I'm sure most of the days I get up and feel like crap are psychological more than physical - if I could get up and not be going to work, I'd be in a far better frame of mind (best be careful what I wish for in the current economic climate mind you).

Montag, 'fraid I really can't remember now. I'm sure it was only half-formed in the first place. Haven't seen La Jete, but I'll assume the 12 Monkeys reference will suffice..