Ahhhhh Chooooo..

Its that time of year again. 
 The time when the leaves start to turn their glorious shades of red and orange. 
The time when we start to hunt out our winter woollies in anticipation of that cold snap we know is coming.
The time when we contemplate lighting the fire to warm ourselves.
The time when MAN FLU rears its ugly head again.  Yep its that time !

Man Flu.  Let us think about it for a moment.  Man ... woman .. humans as a whole. 
Flu .. a sickness that affects both men and women but unfortunately for the male species it is a far far worse affliction.

Man Flu starts at a very early age.  I think it entered my house when the ferals were about 2.  Up until then they were just sick.  You know the usual sniff and cough but yes around the age of 2 little Boy Flu started to emerge.

I shall call it Boy Flu because up until the age of 6 I think the true symptoms are still rather intermittent.  Boy Flu does affect the nose, the eyes and cause a cough but these can be minor. The main affliction that comes with this horrid 'disease' is the moaning.  Yep, that sound all of us women hear when it is flu season again.  At least with Boy Flu a quick kiss and cuddle can work wonders along with a dose of 'medicine' everything can return to almost normal in an instant !

But MAN FLU ... well that's another story all together.
This flu consists of a runny nose that very rarely needs blowing.  A cough that I personally could do a better job of with my very limited acting ability and the question "Do I have a temperature?".  Of course he doesn't ..He has MAN FLU !!!

It does at times force the afflicted male to bed with sleep apparently the only answer.  It affects them so so badly that they are incapable of  doing anything that involves children or home duties.  Shocking for them really...I almost feel sorry for them ..almost..

The moaning in the adult male is of cataclysmic proportions.  Those of us who have experienced it will defiantly know what I mean.  "But I ammmmm siiiccckkk"  or " Cant you see I am dying here!" being a few of the terms used.  Add a deep guttural moan to this and yep its Man Flu.
I will recommend taking some medicine of some sort but often this is met with "I don't need it".  Well he may not need it but I sure as hell do !! 

Man Flu seems to be a big talking point between the male species.  Who had the worst cough or the highest temperature, or whose partner showed the least amount of sympathy ( I usually win that award !! ).  They get together and compare symptoms like hens around a food bowl.  Lots of noise but not alot of action.  I am glad though that they have each other to compare notes with as I am sure it does wonders for the male ego.

When I or the female species as a whole are sick well that is a different thing all together. 
 I have to admit when I get a cold I really get a cold.  It knocks me for a six.  I do spend my days blowing my honker as proved by the nest of tissues that managed to breed over night next to my bed.  I cough real coughs that make my body ache with the exertion of them and I do often have a temperature that can cause me to have hallucinations during the night. 
 I am honestly sick BUT, I still manage to heave myself out of bed, send the ferals off to school, clean the house, cook and then pick the ferals up and start all over again.  I do so with minimal moaning and if I do try to rest I can always be found hiding under the covers by following the tissue trail to my bed side. 

I will take the appropriate concoction of pills to ease the symptoms and I will battle on because if I don't .. who will?

Man Flu or the common cold as it is otherwise known to the female species is as we all know a horrible illness to have.  It can drive us crazy with stoopid symptoms and can be gone as quick as it arrives.  I have a pet hate and that being people who have a cold calling it the FLU.  I can guarantee if you had the flu you would really know about it. 

So in retrospect Man Flu is here to stay.  If we can help ease the pain for us all, we have done our job.  I will encourage the ferals to acknowledge the difference between a cold and Man Flu in the hope that they will start a new breed of men who actually know the difference. I do suspect though this will be in vain as it seems to be inbuilt in to their DNA.

For all you women out there I wish you the best of luck this Flu season.  I hope you do not fall victim to the dreaded side effects of Man Flu and if you are unlucky enough to have it enter your home I suggest ear plugs, wine and a good girly movie.  That is guaranteed to send them snivelling in the other direction.

                       Cheers Dilly xx


Ps: To Hub... I know you really are sick when you have it too.. xxxxx  ;)