This crazy flu is spreading across North America like gangbusters, and there's another norovirus going around. (Which I think my younger son has--he threw up in his dad's bed in the middle of the night last night. Co-parenting Roulette...) Even people who have gotten the flu shot are getting the flu.
So what would you want to have in your house if you were sick?
I'm thinking:
white grape juice (not apple juice) to mix with water for rehydration
bananas
rice
applesauce
bread for toast
laundry detergent
trash can liners
tissues
toilet paper
ibuprofen or other headache pain reliever
flu symptom medicine
What else would you want?
Gingerale, saltines, broth for when you start feeling better, herbal tea, honey, ice, all the blankets and towels clean in advance, a netflix account.
Posted by: Charisse | January 10, 2013 at 10:43 AM
ginger ale/clear soda
disposable rubber gloves: a friend's nurse mother fastidiously used gloves at home when bodily fluids were present. Disposable gloves help prevent cross-contamination at home as well as the hospital. (They're also helpful for chopping onions and handling raw meat in the kitchen.)
big stack of towels/washable blankets
Our barf tip list is here: http://babytoolkit.blogspot.com/2007/04/barf-rama-coming-too-soon-to-home-near.html (It's from 2007, but barf is kind of evergreen.)
Posted by: adrienne | January 10, 2013 at 10:45 AM
My husband just got diagnosed yesterday with Flu A, and now the baby is running a fever, so the ped is putting him on antivirals. Both got the flu shot.
We like to have all the medicines split out (separate cough medicine, decongestant, etc) so that you can dose each symptom as it needs it. The combo meds can be problematic, especially for coughs, and it's easy to OD by either taking a combo med too frequently or doubling up a combo med and a targeted med.
We've had great success talking to a pharmacist about the best way to utilize OTC meds for cold and flus. Delsym is *amazing* for coughs and actually tastes good!
Powdered pedialyte is awesome.
Posted by: Amanda | January 10, 2013 at 10:48 AM
For stomach bugs, puke buckets (large coffee cans are *perfect* - right size for kids to hold and puke in, then just pop the lid on and throw away!). We save ours for exactly this reason.
Enzyme cleaners - like the kind for pet accidents help with cleanup.
Waterproof mattress pads are a must.
Posted by: Amanda | January 10, 2013 at 10:53 AM
For children, both ibuprofen and acetaminaphen (advil and tylenol) to switch for better help with fever relief.
The version of flu that hit our house did not come with barfing, so we were just fever and yucky.
Posted by: Erin | January 10, 2013 at 10:55 AM
I agree with all of the above. We've had the flu, and are now on to the barfs. It's plague central here. I'd be curious how many people here got the flu despite getting the shot/mist, and whether you got A or B.
Posted by: Laura | January 10, 2013 at 11:02 AM
For the flu, ibuprofen and books plus clean sheets.
For stomach bugs, clean toilets, ginger ale, juice, popsicles.
For both, someone to take care of the kids.
Posted by: Brooke | January 10, 2013 at 11:07 AM
stage one: BLEACH (alcohol-based sanitizer doesn't cut it), gloves, lots of hand soap. buckets and towels and extra bedding. a dryer. a babysitter.
stage two: saltines, toast, applesauce, some sort of clear sugary drink like ginger ale.
stage three: moist toilet paper, soft dry toilet paper, more bleach.
Posted by: em | January 10, 2013 at 11:07 AM
I'm confused whether we're talking about stomach bugs or the flu (Influenza), which is usually a severe headache, cough and fever and not vomiting. The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) is for a stomach bug recovery, whereas someone with the flu could eat anything, but they won't want to because they are sleeping all day with high fever. Saltines are a good idea for flu, though, to take along with meds so that the meds don't upset the stomach. The headache with Influenza is a killer, so you need plenty of ibuprofen or other pain killer, which can upset the stomach. I really like Theraflu, which is a medicine you drink like hot tea. It tastes awful, but was very soothing in my misery. For influenza, tissues, a comfy couch and a Netflix subscription are what you need along with meds.
Posted by: Karen | January 10, 2013 at 11:07 AM
LYSOL WIPES. At the first sign, hit doorknobs, cabinet handles, diaper pail lid...everything.
Posted by: SarahB | January 10, 2013 at 11:11 AM
We didn't have the flu, but snot + cough at our house over the break. The other things we needed were chapstick, lotion for our irritated painful noses and lozenges for when the annoying coughing just. wouldn't. stop.
Posted by: cs white | January 10, 2013 at 11:12 AM
For the flu (and if you haven't get that flu shot, avoid the ones they expected and lessen strength of those they didnt):
Delsym (absolutely)
and if the cough sticks around Tessalon Pearls (your doctor can prescribe them--I have asthma, so any URI becomes problemmatic, these help with the lingering)
Simply Saline (to rinse sinuses and prevent lingering infection)
a working thermometer
Ibuprofen
Warm clean jammies and warm slippers and a snuggly robe
Noncaffeinated tea, soda becuase the last thing you need is a diuretic
things in the fridge that are small and easy to eat with little prep
soup soup soup
For Norovirus/Gastroenteritis
My gastro says plain old 7-Up is ideal to replace fluids and provide some sugar to keep your processes running.
We always had chicken noodle soup and so it makes me feel better even now
Jello--either served warm (and kids love to drink Jello) or in the cold cubes (because it feels good in a mouth that's been abused and is very gentle on the tummy)
As you feel better, easy to digest things. It's not the time to worry about fiber in your diet (or your diet, so don't sweat the calories!)
Posted by: Bo | January 10, 2013 at 11:13 AM
Fruit juice pops
Soup
Unexpired medicines
Reliable thermometer
Bleach.
Make a solution of 90% water, 10% bleach. Put it in a squirt bottle and clean ALL THE THINGS.
Wash towels, cloth napkins, place mats, pillow cases, and sheets using HOT water.
Posted by: liz | January 10, 2013 at 11:24 AM
Our standard "sick people food" at our house is rice with sliced bananas and soy sauce. It sounds crazy, but is really pretty good. This is what my husband grew up with. You could also throw on American cheese and/or spam/leftover meat.
My mom used to make us weak tea and cinnamon toast with sliced bananas on it. The final step of throwing the cinnamon/bananaed toast under the broiler or in the toaster oven for a few minutes to caramelize everything is key.
Posted by: Cathy | January 10, 2013 at 11:30 AM
This is a good reminder, and I know I need to:
Buy new toothbrushes to replace the old ones after the flu starts to subside.
New batteries in the thermometer and plenty of disposable ear shields.
Have some easy to make and easy on the stomach meals and snacks (like cans of chicken noodle soup that you take the top off and microwave). Chances are good that my husband and I will be nearly incapacitated about the time the kids are on the med and reach the post-flu-and-hungry stage. Plus, makes sure that the kids can make it themselves, start to finish, if needed.
Stock up on cleaning supplies (carpet cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, paper towels etc.)
Clean towels and sheets. Extra.
Check that may ways to communicate with work and schools are easy to access, and check on or update my backup plans for childcare and work.
Posted by: K | January 10, 2013 at 11:37 AM
Our Flu Survival Kit also includes decaf tea bags, chicken broth/chicken soup, Purell, Lysol, Clorox Clean Up, Jello, carpet cleaner and the number for the carpet cleaner company on speed dial, easy dinners for everyone else so when Mom is sick they don't starve...
Posted by: Amy | January 10, 2013 at 11:58 AM
Great list everyone, thanks. It hasn't hit CA yet. Oh boy!
Posted by: Sharon Silver | Proactive Parenting | January 10, 2013 at 11:59 AM
Plain pasta/broth
Bleach wipes
spare toothbrushes
magazines
pedialyte pops
A friend without kids had the flu (sneezy, not tummy) last week and couldn't shake it. He asked me what our standard regimen was for flu-sick kids. After I listed ibuprofen, popsicles, broth, bananas and gatorade light, he said he had all that in the house already and just hadn't considered using it. Let this list be a lesson for everyone! Thanks Moxie!
Posted by: rebecca | January 10, 2013 at 12:01 PM
Oh me! Me! We just survived the norovirus over the weekend and we fight this stuff all naturally.
CHARCOAL!!!! I break open a capsule into a big spoonful of raw honey for my kids whenever we are feeling iffy.
GARLIC is a great preventative, too.
Digestive ENZYMES and PROBIOTICS to aid in recovery.
THIEVES essential oil (I put a drop in my water bottle every time I filled it up, and I am the only person who did not ever throw up. It all passed quickly into the lower GI stuff, which to me is far preferable!)
I also make an antibacterial/viral (read: vodka and distilled water, plus the EO) room spray with the Thieves oil, and I religiously misted everything in the bathroom and all the door knobs while everyone was puking, then did a major deep cleaning afterward. My bathroom has never been so shiny!
Here's another tip for those who have kids too little to hit the barf bowl and are still relying on towels to catch the puke: scrape/rinse it off into the garbage disposal before you throw it into the washer. It's way easier to "pre-rinse" in the sink and get rid of the big stuff, than to scrape over a trash can or something else. Also? I prefer to puke into the kitchen sink. I don't like kneeling in front of a toilet (and I can't stand the sound that emptying barf bowls into the toilet makes). Standing at the sink is so much nicer.
Posted by: Laura | January 10, 2013 at 12:49 PM
@Karen, for adults vomiting with influenza is rare, but for kids, it is not at all uncommon. Thankfully, for the MANY people I know who had the flu shot this year but still got the flu, the kids seem to be getting the fever part but skipping the barfing. So for my house for the flu this year (hit 50% of us) we did heavy doses of chicken noodle soup and watermelon, which they seemed to crave during the worst parts of the fever. Also juice boxes 1x/day - a major, major treat - and peppermint tea for the grown up who got it. Kids' and adult Advil and Tylenol, Vicks vapo rub, and a sense of humor for the healthy family members.
In my family Xmas eve is huge but we skipped it because of influenza. And 4/5 of the attendees at our family Xmas party got norovirus there. From what I heard, nothing food-wise helped, but it raced through them quickly and they were all better within a day.
Wishing excellent health to all.
Posted by: J | January 10, 2013 at 01:08 PM
Blanket in every room
Gatorade
Tylenol, Advil, Kleenex
Posted by: Tetris | January 10, 2013 at 02:39 PM
I am so impractical. The first thing that crossed my mind is books.
Posted by: Rachel | January 10, 2013 at 03:20 PM
We've got a kid who will very easily go into an escalating puking cycle if he's given free access to liquids while dehydrated. For that, we line up a half dozen little medicine cups on a plate with 5ml of pedialyte each, and set a timer to beep every three minutes, and have him drink one each time the timer goes off. It's tedious, but works. (It also works to calibrate enough intake for someone who doesn't want to drink.)
For an adult use 10ml at a time.
Posted by: Camilla | January 10, 2013 at 03:55 PM
Me, too, Rachel--I thought of yarn to knit with. :)
Posted by: Jackie | January 10, 2013 at 04:11 PM
Celestial Seasonings has this fabulous new lemon/ginger tea. (They are not paying me to say this -- it's just soooo good!) So definitely some of that.
I put lemon juice in my water when I'm sick, which helps me want to drink it. (Which is nice because it's easy to keep in the fridge for just such an emergency.)
And we really like coconut water for rehydrating tiny people. My 3.5yo DD likes it and it's much healthier than gatorade or the like.
And someone said garlic? I'll chop up and swallow raw garlic if I've got a lingering ear or sinus infection (or a plugged duct). Seems to help.
Posted by: Jessie | January 10, 2013 at 04:12 PM
Just wanted to echo Karen's comment. Generally speaking, 'flu' (i.e., influenza) means high fever, headache, chills, aches etc. The vaccine is roughly 60% effective - DEFINITELY worth getting (!!!!) but ignore people who say 'well, I got the shot last year and I STILL ended up getting flu so I'm going to skip it this year.' The more people who get the vaccine, the better off we all are.
Norovirus and other stomach bugs are also going around big time right now. These are different from influenza.
Yes to whoever said that kids with influenza might still vomit or get diarrhea because of the general sickness and fever - but these tummy troubles are not a hallmark of flu in adults.
Virtual hugs to all those dealing with any kind of sickness. Drink lots, rest lots, tylenol is your friend, get better soon!
Posted by: Elizabeth | January 10, 2013 at 04:13 PM
Not to be too annoying, but some people who have gotten the flu vaccine *always* get the flu (influenza, respiratory, not GI). The vaccine efficacy last year was only about 50%, (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pastseasons/1112season.htm#effective) and it rarely goes above 80%. This year does seem to be particularly bad in terms of actual cases though. There's something of a boom-bust cycle; a lot of people get vaccinated, very few people get sick, then the next year people think it wasn't so bad, I don't need a shot.
We like pretzels if we've been throwing up, and hot herbal tea if we haven't.
Posted by: Jenny F. Scientist, PhD | January 10, 2013 at 04:21 PM
I can speak with experience, having suffering the influenza, along with both my kids. And yes, at the same time. For all of us, this manifest as the craziest runny nose you've ever had with the worst body aches you've ever had. We all coughed, but not too much. Kids both also ran very high and stubborn fevers - they needed both tylenol and advil, but not Delsym. Still, a warm mist humidifier is a must. As well as more tissues than you can imagine. I went through an entire box in 36 hours, and not a little box either. I have to say while none of us had any tummy trouble, none of us felt like eating for days. We felt terrible, just godawful.
Netflix streaming. Absolutely.
They are right. It's coming for you. Get your flu shot, and hide. It's so bad the only thing I'm grateful for is that I've already had it and don't have to worry about getting it.
I fear norovirus, and hope beyond hope that it does not come this way. Norovirus send me to the hospital once.
Posted by: Erin | January 10, 2013 at 07:05 PM
Your mommy. Seriously, we were at my parents' for Christmas this year when we came down with norovirus - that is, if norovirus is excessive vomiting and diarreah, enough to send this pregnant woman and her toddler to the emergency room because we couldn't even keep down water (thought we had food poisoning at the time). My mommy helped with the toddler, cleaned up vomit, washed our bedsheets in the middle of the night, and accompanied us to the hospital. We rewarded her by giving her the bug five days later. Whee.
Since I wasn't at home (and didn't realize at first that I HAD a virus), I didn't have all the creature comforts, but Gatorade and saltines were quite helpful, and also YOGURT (or kefir). Not sure it really helped put my stomach back together any quicker, but it sure was a lot more appealing than Christmas dinner leftovers and pizza.
Posted by: Rbelle | January 10, 2013 at 08:10 PM
A laptop?
My mother's chicken or turkey soup (I am not kidding: she makes it from scratch using the actual bird or carcass, brown rice, assorted other grains (depending what's handy, often barley), and veggies. It is fabulous stuff). Mucous thinner (guaifenisen) and no other cough -related medications except cough drops (DH disagrees on the "no other," but also ends up enduring his coughs far longer than I do, for whatever reason). Honey and ginger for the cough. Ginger tea. Lemon tea in a pinch.
I had a "flu-like" bug this fall and while I didn't get tested I sure HOPE it was the flu because if not I'm still vulnerable, and clearly it's brutal. I did get vaccinated as did my family. We were all sick in varying degrees.
Posted by: Alexicographer | January 10, 2013 at 09:18 PM
My mom. Gatorade. Lysol wipes. Extra blankets and sheets. Tissues to blot tears - ugh how I hate the flu.
Posted by: Rachel | January 10, 2013 at 11:38 PM
Home-made chicken soup -- made by someone else, obviously:)
Peace and quiet!
Posted by: ilse | January 11, 2013 at 12:21 AM
Tissues with LOTION.
Do not think you can use store-brand tissues on your nose. Don't do it. If you do, you're too weak to get good cream on your nose, so you use the baby's vaseline or chap stick because it's close to where you've collapsed on the floor. And you can't use hand cream because it burns. So, really soft tissues with lotion. One of my kids even knows to ask for "soft tissues".
Posted by: SarcastiCarrie | January 11, 2013 at 10:52 AM
manuka honey 15+
fresh lemon juice
neti pot for rinsing those germs right out of the passageways!
This combination naturally nukes all invaders at the very first twitch of it. Recommended!
Posted by: RKS | January 11, 2013 at 11:47 AM
This is some preventative stuff:
Culturelle: This stuff is great. My pediatrician recommended it. It can be mixed into yogurt and juice and it adds so many probiotics to you or your child's intestinal track.
Kimberly Snyder has a recipe for a tea that is made with ginger root, lemon and cayenne pepper. Cayenne is really good at detoxing. It's one cup of water to one heaping tablespoon of ginger root (thinly sliced) take the water off the stove just before it begins to boil. add ginger. steep 2 minutes. Then add the juice of a half a lemon. This gives the water time to cool before adding the lemon and a shake of cayenne pepper. I'm sure a kid would definitely not been keen on this. But it's more for the parents so they can be at their best fighting form!
I really feel the need to clean my bathrooms now!
Posted by: skg | January 11, 2013 at 11:58 AM
Oh and don't forget to wipe down the handle of the fridge & freezer. These are HUGE germ spots.
Posted by: skg | January 11, 2013 at 12:03 PM
Ginger ale and Oprah reruns!
Posted by: GoodMomvsBadMom | January 11, 2013 at 01:02 PM
Oh, it's hit CA about... now. Woke up to barfing child - ironically one day after getting flu shot, which didn't have time to kick in. Buckling down and sending husband out for supplies stat.
onward... thanks for the lists.
Posted by: Lisa | January 11, 2013 at 01:41 PM
The last time my six-year-old got a stomach bug we went through his bed linens, and couldn't wash them fast enough. So now I know to keep a few cheap plastic painter's tarps to protect the mattresses.
Posted by: Jen Daily | January 11, 2013 at 03:42 PM
Most of the above, and Dettol to wash all the sheets, towels etc after the sickness starts to retreat...I open the windows (the cold air is great, I live in Ontario) strip the sheets and mattress pads to wash in HOT dettol-y water, spray the bed and pillows with lysol spray and close the bedroom door for the day to clean out the germs....
Posted by: Victoria | January 11, 2013 at 03:57 PM
The flu virus changes so rapidly. People who get the shot should take the same precautions that they would if they had not gotten it. The shot they get may be very different form what they come in contact with later.
I stick to the usual as far as nutrition for dealing with illnesses goes. Boost up the vegetables and fruit to ensure that vitamin C and all other vitamin and anti oxidant levels are high. Increase the fluid intake. Get lots of rest.
Posted by: Laurie@dentaloralcare | January 12, 2013 at 08:09 PM
Lots of good stuff here, to which I'll add good lubricating eyedrops. Last year, the flu hit my husband (not vaccinated) and my son (sneezed his vaccine right out), and they both had terrible gunky irritated eyes, which eventually needed antibiotic ointment for my husband. But oh, how I wish I had something OTC on hand to help out before it got to that point.
Also, Vicks makes a rub for babies -- well worth it. And yes, all the soft lotion kleenex in the world -- with the two men, I think we went through six boxes. And plenty of plastic bags for the used tissues to go in -- one for next to the couch, next to the bed, next to the recliner . . .
Posted by: Schwa de Vivre | January 12, 2013 at 11:26 PM
Coconut water to freeze into ice pops. It is excellent for rehydration, but can taste a little yucky. Freezing it into ice pops makes it much easier (dare I say fun) to get down. The last time our entire family was hit with the flu we all sat around the breakfast table sucking our coconut water ice pops like our life depended on it.
Posted by: Kristie | January 13, 2013 at 03:12 AM
For faucet noses, we always use bandanas instead of tissues. In addition to being cheaper in the long run, and less wasteful, we notice a BIG difference with regard to nose chapping.
Posted by: Anon | January 13, 2013 at 07:18 PM
Gravol Ginger lozenges are wonderful. And Epsom salts for a nice hot soak to ease the "hit by a truck" feeling. And our snot sucker baby mask aspirator.
Posted by: Latte | January 15, 2013 at 12:52 PM
Sorry should have read baby nasal aspirator
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