The Stand

Monday:

So much better today! I still seem to be a snot-producing machine, but I feel much more myself today. Took it easy, did a little work and lots of reading. Another early night is on the cards.

I was wondering today if the difference between my normal and my sick is similar to the size of the difference between my normal and a fit healthy person's normal. Imagine feeling that much better, all the time! Something to aim for.

Sorry I don't have much to talk about. I've spent the last few days re-reading Stephen King's "The Stand" which is about a superflu killing off 99.4% of the human race and what happens afterwards. Possibly poor timing on my part, reading about everyone dying of similar symptoms to what I was experiencing!

The book came out around 1980 I think, my goodness that is a long time ago, so obviously the discussions of technology etc are old, but the thing that really struck me are the outdated ideas about pregnancy. One of the main characters gets pregnant out of wedlock and her mother completely freaks out (to be fair that would still happen today in some cultures, just not mine), there is a discussion about not having sex after the four month point of pregnancy or they might "squash" the baby, a doctor says alcohol is fine when pregnant as long as you drink in moderation, childbirth with the mother's feet up in stirrups like in the Monty Python comedy movie (mother: what do I do, doctor? Doctor: nothing, madam, you are not qualified), a newborn baby is put one of those wards you only see in movies - the babies all together behind a glass wall and the parents only able to look through and not touch (or breastfeed) their own child except at designated times... crazy.