For our first installment, we are very fortunate to be joined by the highly acclaimed Steven Konkoly, author of apocalyptic thrillers including the Black Flagged series and, the focus of this interview, The Jakarta Pandemic.  Mr. Konkoly is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in English Literature and a veteran, having served seven years with various Navy and Marine Corps units.

Welcome, Steve.  First and foremost, thank you for your service.

Thank you, Randy. I really appreciate the opportunity to dig below the surface of my writing and expose some of the core ideas and concepts that help shape the stories. Regardless of what other authors may claim, writing is a personal endeavor, no matter how far fetched the plot or action may seem to the reader. There is always something deeply personal embedded in the writing, and the threads that wrap around these aspects often define the story’s core essence.

In your writings, there is no such thing as black and white.  You deal in personal confliction and there are no easy answers.  You have also said that your military experience figures heavily into your writings.  With all that said, TJP brings all that together in a complex character and gives us Alex Fletcher.

Ten years out of the Marines, Alex has fully transitioned back into the private sector and seems to be doing quite well.  Putting aside what I assume would be Alex’s tendency to be prepared due to his military experience, I would like to talk a little about what motivated Alex to focus on the threat of a pandemic and make preparations for his family.  At the end of Chapter 5, we learn about a presentation that Alex did for his company Biosphere and the research that went into it.  We learned that process “changed his life” in apparently more ways than just professionally.  Can you talk about how this process impacted Alex and his decisions when it comes to his family’s preparedness?

When I started to conceptualize The Jakarta Pandemic, I wanted to highlight the difficulties of surviving a catastrophic level event in a suburban setting. The leading difficulty in my opinion would be dealing with everyone else’s varying degree of unpreparedness in the face of a complete lack of essential services. With that in mind, I wanted to start Alex in a position of self-sufficiency, and I chose this “presentation” as his catalyst to start preparing for a worst-case scenario. The conclusion Alex draws from his research reflects the culmination of my own examination of the scenario. In a nutshell, it’s not a matter of IF something like this will happen, it’s a matter of WHEN, and WHEN it happens, survival will depend on your basic level of preparedness and planning.

I’ve read that you raised your personal level of preparedness AFTER writing TJP.  I was a bit shocked by that fact.  One of my favorite parts of the book is when we get a first look at the Fletcher’s supplies as we join Alex for an inventory “the Frito supply” for the first time.  You describe the Fletcher’s well rounded stockpile in some detail and even lay out a good plan for rotating food stores as if you had been doing it yourself for a long time.  I particularly appreciated how you pointed out throughout the book that building a stockpile like the Fletcher’s is something that anyone can do if they make a plan and execute it in a practical way.  Was family preparedness and establishing an emergency survival kit a chicken and egg type thing for you as you wrote the book?  And, without divulging too much, how much did Alex teach you about being more prepared and what steps have you taken in your personal life to be better prepared for any future emergency?

Most people are shocked to learn that I never visited a prepper or survivalist website prior to finishing The Jakarta Pandemic. In many ways, I’m glad that I didn’t. I’m a details oriented writer, and despite the fact that the scene you described is exhaustively detailed, I would have driven myself insane trying to get the Fletcher’s “bunker” perfect. I put a considerable amount of thought into the contents of their survival stockpile, starting with the basics: Food, Water, and Medical Supplies…and expanding from there. And I certainly expanded far beyond the basics. Solar panels connected to battery storage, two oil tanks for storing fuel (this is a New England phenomena…most of you have natural gas or propane), wood burning stove (which I don’t think they ever used), generator, antibiotics (unethically obtained through Alex’s employer) and many other items that might come in handy if the shelves at your local Home Depot and grocery store emptied overnight. Imagine going cold turkey off Fritos…devastating. :0)

So to answer your question, I created this incredible stockpile or “bunker” in my novel, and didn’t have so much as three extra cans of vegetables in my own house to back up one of the main themes in my book. A few months after publishing the novel, I took Alex Fletcher’s advice and started to slowly build up a reserve of food and supplies, one shopping trip at a time. It’s truly amazing what you can amass in two years, when you take a systematic, consistent approach to stockpiling supplies. Does my basement now resemble Alex’s? Not even close, but I feel confident that my family could ride out a major disaster, without resorting to desperate measures. Of course, the same question always remains, regardless of how much you prepare…what is your neighbor doing to avoid resorting to desperate measures, and what is your plan to deal their desperation. This becomes a pinnacle issue for Alex, and his plan is woefully lacking in this author’s opinion…on purpose.

Most folks living a preparedness lifestyle understand that planning is paramount to the success of any emergency plan.  This usually means having a plan to ride out an emergency situation at home, also known as sheltering in place or bugging in, and also having a plan to evacuate if the situation dictates, commonly referred to as bugging out.  If the plan is to shelter in place, neighbors can become a real problem like we see in TJP.  We don’t want to give the story away, but what are your thoughts on working with neighbors or building a survival team, given that the necessities of dealing with a pandemic primarily call for isolation?  Makeshift alliances develop in TJP, but should Alex have developed relationships and built his team within the neighborhood well ahead of the pandemic since he viewed it as such a real threat?

This is hard to say. Unfortunately for Alex, his plan from the start was isolation, but he quickly learned that this wasn’t going to be a viable option. Without recognizing the need for a diplomacy based “crowd control” plan prior to the arrival of the pandemic virus, he really shortchanged himself and put his family in danger. With that said, none of us want to view our neighborhood as an episode of Survivor, where shifting alliances and secret plots undermine the ease of living and sense of relaxation we come to expect when we pull into the driveway. Alex had some core friends in the neighborhood, which came in handy as the conflict escalated, and he found a few surprise allies along the way. If anything, Alex could have been more open to dispelling a few stereotypes that hindered him in the beginning. I don’t write big moral lessons into my novels, but Alex’s character gave me the opportunity to point out a few negative behaviors that most of us can find in ourselves from time to time.

I believe I have read that your favorite scene in TJP is the neighborhood meeting.  The part of this gathering that stood out to me was, with the exception of a small few, the neighbor’s almost outright denial that anything really bad or prolonged could ever actually happen.  Their cognitive dissonance would not let them believe that the grid could go down or that there would be more than a short term disruption in food deliveries, even with a viable threat staring them in the face.  What are your thoughts on this phenomena and just how prevalent it is within American society today?

Don’t get me started, Randy. Just take one look around and you can start to see the extent of the problem. We’ve become a society of instant information…everyone connected to smartphones, tablets, computers, blogs, websites…all downloading the latest opinions, news, and “facts” in real time. Few people put any discernable time into researching topics, simply accepting the latest New York Times or Wall Street Journal article as gospel, whichever suits their purpose. Conservative? Fox News will steer you in the right direction. Liberal? MSNBC never gets it wrong. We’ve polarized ourselves to think along the lines of convenience and convention, staying well within our comfort zones and dismissing information that doesn’t conform. This is not a new phenomena, but I think it’s compounded in our society today. I’m just as guilty as anyone (I use all of these newfangled technologies), but I’ve set some ground rules for myself, and the first rule is to dig deeper. I can find ten articles that say the next pandemic will be manageable, all of them one page summaries of the latest CDC or WHO assessment, but I’m far more interested in the twenty page, multi-source researched essay explaining the why the CDC and WHO pandemic models are based on unlikely scenarios and how they vastly underestimate the impact of the next deadly pandemic.

Complexity is a trademark of the characters in your works.  To pay homage to that fact, I would like to look into what I call “the dichotomy of Kate”.  Alex’s wife Kate doesn’t seem to like guns or Alex “playing commando”, but on the other hand she seems to constantly want him to shoot any threat to the family dead first and ask questions later.  I know you have stated in the past that looking back on it, you can now see the need for characters like Kate’s to be rounded out a little more in TJP, so I would like to ask you to take all the space you need to help us understand where she’s coming from.

Like any woman, she’s complex and I can’t explain what she does or says with any regularity. Sound familiar? Just kidding, sort of. Kate’s gun dichotomy represents what I consider to be a prevalent attitude in society, which can be expanded far beyond guns. She’s not a big fan of firearms, but this isn’t a moral stand or some kind of a political statement. In my mind, it was more related to a general apathy toward firearms, which we see everywhere in society, even within firearms friendly families (I just made that term up by the way-FFF). It’s easier to lock them up and hide them, than it is to teach responsible firearms safety and respect. With young children in the house, Kate chose the easy path, instead of embracing the fact that firearms were intrinsically linked to her husband’s past and would always be a part of their life together. Of course, when her family was threatened, she was one of the first to encourage her husband to put them to use. Here is the dichotomy I was trying to expose in our society. In general, we don’t want to deal with the hassle and responsibility of guns (substitute “guns” for any number of other words), but when the SHTF, we have a sudden need for them. Rarely does this sudden need come with responsible or tempered use. I liked Kate’s character overall, and wished I could have explained her thought process more fully, but I had chosen to stick to a first person, single point of view for the story (Alex’s), and this made it extremely difficult round out any of the characters beyond Alex. The sequel to The Jakarta Pandemic will be written from multiple points of view, similar to my Black Flagged series, giving the reader a much deeper understanding of the key characters.

In Chapter 16, Alex and Kate have a discussion about what could happen if a sick friend or family member came to them looking for help.  They also discussed the decisions they (the Fletchers) had made that would lead to such a dilemma.  Those same decisions run counter to the original Fletcher survival plan and there is a real possibility that their real fears could become reality of their own making.  This speaks directly to a couple of our main teaching points: 1) Craft a survival plan for your situation 2) OPSEC (operational security) cannot be overstated.  In my mind, this powerful conversation could be a story by itself or at least a complete chapter.  Although you make the point pretty well in the book, I was hoping you might expand your thoughts on never-ending web of problems that could arise in a scenario like the Fletchers explore in their conversation.

I chickened out writing TJP. I’ll admit this here for the first time. I had set the stage for a possible visit from any of several family members within striking distance, with the full intention of putting the Fletchers in the position of having to either refuse to take in a sick relative or subject them to quarantine procedures. This is a difficult topic for most of us to comprehend, and I decided to steer clear of it ultimately, leaving the discussion to stand on its own merits. I couldn’t imagine writing a scene turning “Grandpa” away because he was running a fever and coughing and the response I’d get from readers. The book is controversial enough, and I felt that I accomplished the goal of raising awareness by introducing the concept as an important part of a any survival plan, especially in the face of a contagious virus.

As for Operational Security? I’d say the Fletchers failed miserably, letting too many people know that they were stocked up and prepared. He may not have walked around with a banner announcing it, but the neighbors quickly put it together and he made matters worse by disclosing certain information and offering to share some very critical and hard to find supplies. In a limited disaster scenario like an earthquake, hurricane or tidal wave, this wouldn’t be such a problem, but Alex knew for a fact from his own research that a massive pandemic was different. The effects of deadly flu virus had the potential to crash the “system,” forcing the neighborhood to endure severe food shortages and limited access to essential services.

Given Alex’s military background and the fact that the Fletchers had been planning for a disaster like the Jakarta Pandemic for years, I was surprised that they had not ran a “practice weekend” disaster scenario to work out the kinks before actually having to implement their survival plan.  Did I just miss that in the book because it was not specifically mentioned or is that something that was purposely omitted from the story line for impact?

You didn’t miss anything. Frankly, I didn’t think about it. If I had, I would likely have modeled my own family for the Fletcher’s “drill weekend,” and had it perpetually postponed. I have two emergency escape ladders on my second floor that have not been opened. I bought them with the full intention of running a drill out of one of the first floor windows, just so my kids could figure out how to attach them to the windowsill. We’ve been too busy. We’ve watched over two thousand hours of TV as a family since acquiring the ladders, but can’t find thirty minutes for a drill that could save lives. We always talk about a home invasion plan…how to react as a family, but we’ve never gone through the motions. You make a great point, Randy, and I think this could have been another opportunity to highlight an important aspect to any preparedness plan. 

Let’s turn our focus to real world current events for a moment.  The Jakarta Pandemic is set in 2013 and oddly enough, the world has already seen a couple of rather scary viral outbreaks this year with the novel coronavirus in the middle east that has shown an alarming death rate among those infected and the H7N9 avian flu that is currently spreading across, you guessed it, China.  It seems you may have been onto something when you wrote TJP by setting it to take place in 2013!  What are your thoughts on these ongoing situations and what should we be looking for as these stories develop?

I may be the only person on earth hoping that this avian flu thing takes off…book sales will be off the charts! Just kidding, sort of, until I get my basement squared away. As you can imagine, I like to track this kind of stuff, but I’d be lying if I told your readers that I predicted 2013 for the next deadly pandemic. Unfortunately, we don’t have the organization that I created for The Jakarta Pandemic to warn us when a pandemic is imminent. The International Scientific Pandemic Awareness Collaborative (ISPAC) was an entirely fictional entity, based on the needs identified by my research. Namely, an independent, nonpolitical agency focused on the early detection of potential pandemic threats and the relevant public education needed to prepare individuals and civil groups. Readers can set Google alerts or other news alerts to receive articles related to pandemic events or topics, using key phrases or words. You can also frequently review our own nation’s CDC website and navigate toward the bottom left corner to “OUTBREAKS.” I check this section every week or two to see what’s new in the world of infectious diseases. The WHO website (home page) contains a link at the top right, “Disease Outbreak News,” which accomplishes the same goal, but leads to a wide variety of articles and disease topics which can expand your knowledge of pandemic viruses. If you find a link to an emerging disease on one of these sites, you can add the name of the disease to your list of news alert subscriptions. By keeping a loose eye on these sites and your alerts, you’ll be in a strong position to detect an emerging threat before it “hits the news.” I don’t go crazy with this stuff, but if something catches my eye, I like to get the news first.

Like our name suggests, we believe in those things that provide the practical, tactical solutions for the everyday emergencies that can impact any of us like a bolt from the blue.  TJP provides us with a practical outline for how to tackle the threat of a flu pandemic, but I was wondering if you had any other advice or information that you would like to leave our readers with before we go?

Practical is the key. Alex Fletcher’s set up in TJP was not a practical solution for most families. I did the math at one point and calculated that the cost of their home modifications and supplies ran well into the six-figure range. The supplies can be accrued slowly over time, but the big-ticket items will not be practical or reasonable for 99% of people. You can drive by my house and you won’t see solar panels on my roof. I spent that money on a sailboat so I can enjoy the Maine summers on Casco Bay. Priorities. My key advice is to develop and execute a basic plan for building a modest stockpile of food, medical supplies and water. Get your security situation in order and start expanding your preparedness knowledge. The rest will follow. There is no “one size” fits all solution to preparedness, because our needs vary, however, the themes are the same, and Randy’s blog is a great place to start. His focus on combining PRACTICAL advice with a TACTICAL outlook defines the survival mindset.

So, you’ve mentioned a sequel to TJP a couple of times during this interview and that is certainly welcome and exciting news for fans of the work like us.  Is there anything you can tell us about what lies ahead for the Fletchers?

I’m looking at a sequel, but not in the traditional sense. The story will take place several years after the first and present the Fletchers with a unique set of challenges. TJP focused on the human challenges (even if you are uber-stockpiled) of hunkering down “in place.” For the sequel, I have created a unique set of circumstances that will force the Fletchers and likely send them in two different directions. Alex Fletcher has learned a lot during the five or six years since The Jakarta Pandemic, but what I have in store for the Fletchers will force him to improvise nearly every skill he has developed, and once again band together with friends. This will not be your typical “bug out” story, though some of the key aspects of “bugging out” will be explored and expanded…really expanded. In order to avoid treading well-worn ground in this genre, I plan to leverage the techno-thriller writing style/skills of my Black Flagged series with an apocalyptic event. The scenario I have in mind will leave the story open to a series. The initiating disaster scenario will be what I like to call a “realistic stretch,” but it sets the stage for a wild ride.  

At Practical Tactical we’ve adopted the slogan, Semper Paratus. We are proponents of firearm ownership and believe in having the ability to exercise the “force option” if necessary.  We are absolutely of the opinion that a well thought out and rigorously trained defense strategy be a part of any emergency plan. With that said, we also believe that you must be willing to take on the necessary level of responsibility that accompanies which ever method of self-defense you choose to employ.  While we offer Barney-basic firearms training through Practical Tactical, we understand that may not be the choice for everyone and we absolutely respect that position. Each person or family must come to terms with what level of self-defense is appropriate for themselves and their situation. We only suggest that whatever method of defense is chosen, it must include the appropriate exposure and training to be effectively deployed when/if the time comes to use it.  Do you have any thoughts on this topic, Steve?

This is sage advice, especially talking about what each person or family finds “appropriate for themselves and their situation,” followed by a commitment to effectively deploying the method. In terms of home defense, a good house alarm or dog would better serve some families than a firearm, especially if they are unwilling to regularly practice with the firearm. “One size fits all” does not apply to self-defense or preparedness.

I’m just as comfortable walking up to a firearms counter and handling weapons as I am picking out a loaf of bread for dinner. Actually, the bread gives me more stress, because everyone in my house likes different types of bread and I can never win. :0)  Have you ever handed a “safed” firearm (slide back, chamber examined by both parties) to someone unfamiliar with firearms? They hold it like you just handed them your soiled underwear. You (Randy) have shared Practical Tactical’s approach to beginners, and it is all about demystifying and developing comfort with a method (in this case firearms). This applies across the board to every aspect of a solid, executable preparedness/survival plan.

One of the biggest criticisms (in reviews and emails) of TJP and Alex Fletcher’s character, is that he didn’t simply shoot first and ask questions in a pivotal scene. This decision clearly leads to a cascade of problems that not only affect Alex’s family, but the entire neighborhood. I’m being as vague as possible so I don’t spoil the story for potential readers. Everyone will know when this scene takes place, and most of you will be screaming at Alex…especially in light of what you know is coming later. Some reviewers have decried Alex’s behavior as “non-Marine,” and others claiming that his hesitancy to kill was out of character with his background. While his decision only delayed the inevitable lethal confrontation with these clearly “bad intentioned” people, it served a greater purpose, which I didn’t make immediately clear in the book…for a reason.

In my view, the most critical aspect of a preparedness/self-defense plan is never losing sight of the big picture and the ultimate goal. I love the controversy surrounding this scene, because it really drives this point home. Emotionally, even I wanted Alex to open fire on the crazies that had descended on his neighborhood. He knew they were bad news across the board. Was shooting them in the middle of the street really an option, like his wife and neighbor suggested? Sure. It would have immediately neutralized a likely threat to their safety, but what next? The police were still responding to calls (barely) and Alex had been questioned by the police for another incident involving firearms. Three men dead in the middle of the street. They hadn’t overtly threatened him or tried to break into his house. Clearly, they were up to no good, but how would the police react? Maybe the police would turn a blind eye, but what if they didn’t? Alex incarcerated during a deadly pandemic, leaving Kate to fend off the next group of lunatics that decide to prey on the neighborhood OR angry neighbors that know they are well stocked with food and supplies? House searched and all firearms confiscated, leaving Kate with nothing but kitchen knives for self-defense. This was one of the toughest decisions Alex had to make, but it wasn’t due to a lack of conviction or guts. His character served as a company commander in Iraq, where rules of engagement defined the big picture. I felt that his reaction to the situation was the best survival decision for his family, even if it did put off the inevitable.

Well at the end of the day, I believe that making “the best survival decision” for our families is all any of us can hope to do, Steve.  Friends, I highly recommend The Jakarta Pandemic for anyone in the preparedness community looking for an exciting read that also provides some common sense steps anyone can take to be better prepared for an emergency.  So pick a copy up soon, download the audio book from your favorite provider to listen to during a long commute or follow my lead and do both!  I’m confident you will find it a fun, interesting and useful read.  Steve, where else can our readers find you and your other works?

I’m pretty accessible, and unlike Stephen King, I still answer reader emails. Of course, I’m about 400 million readers away from matching Mr. King’s level of “busy,” so I can still take the time to respond and enjoy the best part of writing…interacting with readers. You can email me at stevenkonkoly@gmail.com and if I’m not in the throes of writing my latest work in progress, you’ll probably hear back from me the same day. I’d love to invite everyone to visit my blog, www.stevenkonkoly.com, where you can go behind the scenes of my writing, catch some book reviews (apocalyptic, thriller, horror and some sci-fi), enjoy some humor and get updates about my work in progress or future projects. There’s something for everyone.

Sounds great, Steve.  I would like to thank you for taking the time to discuss The Jakarta Pandemic in depth with us!  It has certainly been a pleasure.

Finally, I want to encourage everyone to join in and keep the conversation going by asking your own questions of Steve (or me) in the comment section below and by sharing this talk on Facebook and Twitter (or your preferred social media platform) with everyone you know.  The more people we can reach and hopefully help along their journey towards personal preparedness the better off we’ll all be in the long run.

#SemperParatus

The rub that I make has two main ingredients

Coconut Oil and Oil of Oregano

Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Oil of Oregano 100% organic extra strength

I have filled the jar with coconut oil and added about 7 drops of oil of oregano. Mix it well and close the lid to wait for usage.

The rub can be used pretty much the same as the Vaporub, you can add it to the temples, around the neck area, to the bottom of the feet and to the spine. I have found that it has helped our children get through their colds faster and in a milder form.

Oil of Oregano is a highly beneficial essential oil and can be used for multiple purposes e.g. anti fungal, anti bacterial, anti inflammatory, anti allergenic. But it is very important to use a good product since it is extremely potent!

Infographic Details

Between 12 - 16 May there have been no new reported cases of H7N9 and a drip feed of case and fatality details. To date the totals for China are 131-cases including 36-deaths and Taiwan 1-case without loss of life. Two deaths were confirmed on 13 May without details and the first confirmed fatality from Hunan was reported on 15 May. Note that all totals include asymptomatic cases.

To date 27.3% of all known cases have been fatal, or more than one in every four afflicted by H7N9. For context the Case Fatality Rate of SARS was 10.9%.

The Ministry of Health and Chinese media confirmed that to 15 May there have been 61 patient discharges (46.2%). Asymptomatic cases remain at one (0.8%).

The most recent fatality (with details) reported by the Chinese media was on the 15^th May 2013 via Xinhua.

Cases by Region (including Taiwan)

Along with a decline in cases there has been a drip-feed of case details that have flowed through during the week. Note: I have two confirmed deaths that I cannot add as the province has not been disclosed.

The last confirmed onset that I could see has moved from Fujian to Jiangxi and it’s more than a week old in the regional extremities of the outbreak. Shanghai, the region which hosted the outbreak in mid-April announced during the week that it had not had a confirmed case in more than 20-days and was in the process of dismantling its emergency level response to H7N9.

Note: I have created this infographic using Tableau Public software which can be viewed here.

Cases by Job-Title

Here is another look at the cases by employment.

Given that more than 44% of cases were in patients over the age of 65 it’s no surprise that 35 (28.8%) of job titles are ‘Retired’.

To tenuously back the avian link the next largest job title was ‘Farmer’ with 26 confirmed at 19.7% of all cases. If you include those job-titles with linkages to farming, poultry production and food preparation that number would increase to 38 making it the most dominant employment type at 28.8%.

Of the 31 unknown job titles, 12 (9.1%) are represented by people over the age of 65, thus would predominately fall into the ‘Retired’ or ‘Farming’ employment types depending on whether they are rural or urban based.

Note: My previous post on H7N9 can be found at Random Analytics: H7N9 Infographic (to 8 May 2013)

Updates (13/05/2013)

• Confirmed two additional job titles (1x Builder and Farmer) so updated both the infographic and Cases by Job-Title.

Updates (14/05/2013)

• Updated the main infographic after a further 2 fatalities and 15 recoveries were confirmed via Xinhua.

Updates (16/05/2013)

• Updated the main infographic and Cases by Region map after a fatality was confirmed via Xinhua and a further four recoveries were announced via CCTV News. The most recent Xinhua announced fatality link was also updated.

I will also share this with you (consider it my personal PSA)…it started as what I thought was allergies. This is also what my minions at work said they had through stuffy noses and coughing. What this turned out to be is a strange cold/flu thing that keeps you from going to work, getting out of bed, and going to play DnD. That’s right I play and it’s fun.

But seeing as I didn’t want to pass my germs on to anyone I chose to be responsible. Which meant staying home with the kitties. While at home I watched a whole lot of Bones and ate one gluten free pizza and some other assorted goodies. Not that I should have had anything, but I was hungry and it was the easiest thing to make.

Now here I sit Saturday night still feeling like death, but forcing myself to write something. I do take comfort in knowing I’m not the only blogger feeling like le death this evening. In fact this blogger lives (I’m guessing) not far from me in real life. But we’ve never met in real life. Anyway her blog is called Lucy’s Football she is very funny (read it), you can read her post on the subject of her illness here.

To not end this on a yuck note I give you a cat picture or two.

Georgia is a good kitty when mommy is sick.

Cat in a tub…THAT is funny stuff. Well, the look on his face amuses me…

Sleepy Allie, little ball of claws…

Image Credit: whatisstomachflu

Life is full of ups and downs. When fun, fabulousness and fulfillment come a’knocking, you can guarantee their ‘friends’ faff, failure and f*ck up are never too far around the corner. Which is why after spending the last few weekends lording it up in Madrid (it did get good once we got clothes, honest, I just haven’t got around to telling you about that bit yet) and watching the uber-tastic Queen Bey, I found myself struck down with a proper layed-up in bed, sweating and aching stomach bug.

We spent last weekend redecorating the kitchen. Nothing out-there, just another coat of white on the ceiling, magnolia on the walls and gloss on the wood and metal work. It looks better for it, although it didn’t look that bad before to be honest. Not wanting to ruin our handiwork, we decided that eating out was the best option. Oh it was lovely. A morning of painting followed by a nice meal. So, when I woke up on Tuesday morning (it was a Bank Holiday weekend remember) feeling a bit iffy I just thought I’d overindulged. I downed some Immodium and headed out to work.

Bad move. Having become intimately acquainted with the ladies loos and realising I wasn’t achieving anything I asked my boss (who had been in meetings all day) if I could go home. He told me I looked terrible and to go home and rest. I got home and crawled into bed and slept, and ached, and sweated… Oh it was not pleasant.

I’m still dehydrated and off my food. But I’m feeling much better than I was. Although randomly have an achy foot now (answers on a postcard please?).

Speaking of life dealing some duff cards. This morning was supposed to be beautifully sunny so I could sit at the dining table looking out of the juliet balcony and writing this. Instead I’m on the sofa with my achy foot propped up and looking at a grey, drizzly sky. Ah well. On the plus-side… I’m listening to this fab Great Gatsby playlist on Spotify – can’t wait to see the film. I’m supping chamomile tea from my fab Orla Kiely mug. And I’m looking forward to hubby’s forthcoming birthday celebrations. Oh and is that a bit of sunshine I see trying to make an appearance…

I think that living in a dorm room for the past 9 months has taken a negative toll on my immune system because, well… solitary confinement. I think that back in September I had a little bit of a sniffle, but other than your average university student Friday-morning hangover, I was as healthy as a horse!

what does that even mean.

But then I came back home where I live with more than one person, and I was exposed to a world of foreign germs that have attacked my eyes, throat, ears, and chest.

I miss my solitary confinement a lot.

I went to a table to serve a customer the other day loaded with an almost-sincere smile and a couple menus, and as I cheerfully greeted him with rather stuffy “Hi there I’m Taylor! I’ll be your waitress this afternoon. May I start you off with a drink while you look at the menu?” his eyes grew wide and he immediately scrambled to the back corner of the booth where he demanded I put on my hazmat suit before going anywhere near him or his food.

Source: 6d6fireball.com

I tried to assure him that it was only allergies.

Either way, with the advent of my summer starting out in a mediocre fashion, I tried to curl myself up into a pathetic lump and beat Super Mario World for the millionth time, though that’s just not going to cut it. I’m thinking that once my lungs decide to start allowing me oxygen again I’m going to make the most out of this summer despite being a relatively broke university student.

Painting, beaching, tanning, swimming, photographing, and possibly taking a road trip down to the South shore (which will likely be as much of a vacation I’m going to get here in Nova Scotia) are in my hopeful plans, so here goes nothing!

Now that might be just a tad dramatic but it’s easy to get stuck. To hit a wall and not know exactly how to get past it, or back up after hitting that wall at great speed and consequently being flung backwards.

This is what I call being stuck in a rut. When life is a just a perfectly rude fruit pop and it really is not fair. No. That’s right. Life is not fair. And of course we all hate that fact. Unless of course we are the ones who it favors. I’d enjoy being one of those. 

But at the end of the day we all steadily traipse on, bravely battling the world of terrifying judgements and routines.

To be perfectly honest I should not be blogging while feeling like a rain cloud just let loose on me… or perhaps it is hay fever or more likely… a horrible cold that is this time of year.

Ah craving chicken soup and a good nights sleep… topped off by a large dose of a nice fairytale and a happy ending.

Rain you are my friend.    

http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2013/05/osterholm-on-contagion-exhaustion.html/

Are You Using Cold and Flu Medicine Correctly?

<img alt="Are You Using Cold and Flu Medicine Correctly?“>

(NewsUSA) – It seems pretty simple -; you cough, you take some cough medicine. But even over-the counter drugs can cause serious side effects, so it’s important to select your medication carefully and read all labels thoroughly. Here are some tips to keep in mind when seeking relief for cold and flu symptoms: * Make sure not to exceed the recommended dosage. The FDA advisory panel recommended a significant reduction in dosing for acetaminophen, the most popular over-the-counter drug for pain relief and fever reduction. This is because even small overdoses of acetaminophen can lead to liver damage. Acetaminophen can be found in Tylenol products, as well as many multi-symptom cold and flu medicines, such as DayQuil, NyQuil and Theraflu.
* Do not take drugs longer than recommended. The drug found in most medicated over-the-counter nasal sprays, oxymetazoline, should not be used for more than three days. Longer use could
lead to rebound effect, which causes more congestion. This drug is found in brands such as Afrin, Vicks Sinex and Zicam.
* Never use over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold drugs in kids younger than four. Drug manufacturers voluntarily changed the label of pediatric cough and cold medicines after consulting with the FDA, which had been reviewing the safety of these drugs in children.
* Consider use of the growing number of natural or non-medicated alternatives with clinically proven effectiveness.
- Studies have shown that capsaicin nasal sprays safely and effectively relieve nasal congestion, sinus pressure and headache. One brand, Sinus Buster Nasal Spray (www.BusterBrands.com), has been clinically shown to break up congestion and start providing sinus relief in under one minute. The study also confirmed Sinus Buster’s safety; no rebound effect or loss of smell was associated with its use.
- Honey may offer a safe and effective way to relieve coughs -; a study revealed that children taking honey before bed slept better than children taking cough medicine.
- Black elderberry extract has been clinically shown to shorten the duration of the flu if taken when symptoms first appear. In one clinical study, Sambucol, a brand of elderberry extract, reduced flu duration by four days.
- Neti-pots effectively rinse the nasal passage with a salt-water solution that helps flush out the allergens, irritants and excess mucus that can lead to sinus problems and pain. ]]> http://beenough.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/be-a-big-brother-to-a-sick-little-brother/ Thu, 09 May 2013 21:02:17 +0000 beenough http://beenough.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/be-a-big-brother-to-a-sick-little-brother/ Big Brother, JC, was a STAR last night.   His little brother was sick.

He got his brother’s bear and blankie.  He then proceeded to get a puke bucket and lie with him.

Peace be upon you all

x

2 tbsp each minced: fresh ginger, garlic
2 tbsp each: honey, lemon juice, water
Dash of cayenne

Add all ingredients to a small jar with a lid and shake with all the strength you have left in your compromised condition. (Maybe you can get someone nice to make this for you.)

Do not strain, use a spoon to syphon some liquid from the top and take 1-2 tbsp every couple hours. Follow up with tea and drink as much lemon water as you can handle.

Keep unused portion in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Now if someone can kindly bring me a batch…

• dark chocolate – this item is joyfully listed first. The high amounts of cocoa in dark chocolate support the growth of T-cells which boost immunity and the way our bodies fight infection.
• garlic – this delicious root that gives many foods a great little kick contains sulphur compounds – that help in wipe away bacteria and fight infections. Winter is the perfect time for soups, and stir-frys so why not mince a few cloves and pop it into your dishes.  However, for immune boosting properties, lots of garlic must be consumed.
• almonds - packed full of vitamin E, almonds have been suggested to reduce overall inflammation in the body and especially in the immune system, and therefore prevent illness.
  
• olive leaf extract - always a cold + flu season favourite. Once again, working with the immune system , this powerful little anti-oxident formula destroys bad bacteria in the body and keeps the good bacteria untouched (unlike anti-biotics which destroys both types). I use Natures Own Liquid Olive Leaf Extract (below) – around $15 for 300ml from most supermarkets and health food stores.
• quality natural/greek yoghurt - like olive leaf extract, yoghurt is a pro-biotic which removes bad bacteria from the body which will support a healthy immune system.
• legumes (especially red kidney beans!) - red beans contain a mulittude of nutrients – iron, magnesium, phosphorus and  potassium which all help keep electrolytes in balance to keep you hydrated (increasingly important if you are to become ill).
• fruits + veg - and plenty of them! There is no doubt about it that fruit and veg will both prevent and ward off colds and flu’s, and the more colour and variety the better. Most importantly eat the dark leafy green veg as they are known to be the most nutrient-dense – exactly what the body needs to keep it in it’s best shape and form.

Keep in mind… many head for the supplement isle during winter or when they are truing to prevent illness. If you eat a healthy balanced diet there is absolutely no need for extra supplements in your diet – and if you are concerned you may be lacking in a vitamin, then get a blood test with your doctor. Although seemingly harmless, it can be dangerous to self-prescribe vitamins, especially if you are taking them for extended periods of time. This is again especially the case for your fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E + K) which the body has a harder time removing from the body (unlike the B vitamins and vitamin C). It’s difficult to overdose from a vitamin from eating food alone, as most foods contain safe amounts well below the UL (upper limit) set in Australia.

And one last note… although vitamin C is commonly associated with colds + sicknesses, it actually doesn’t do a whole lot in preventing an sickness – only reducing length and severity of symptoms once you have one.

Enjoy a flu-free winter <3

Writing this is rather difficult. My nose is itching. It feels hard to concentrate when you have to blow your nose every two minutes. I don’t feel like writing. To be honest with you, I don’t feel like doing anything. But I need to share my thoughts with you. My mental strain and my neverending anguish. I am confined to my bed and to my school books. The bed feels too soft, as if it is going to swallow me soon. My appearance is unkempt and haggard, no wind is flying my hair. (But it’s raining outside)

Luckily my friend will soon bike to my place although it’s raining. We can have a cup of tea and contemplate on these elongated rainy days. Maybe walk with bare feet from the kitchen to my room. (At least I have to, I haven’t done any laundry for days.)

It’s hard for me to accept the truth that some people are actually lying in the sun right now…

Photo

Photo

This pie is simply “you cant F this up pie” recipe and great for impressing your friends and family by adding fresh raspberries and whipped cream. No more Cheesecake Shop store bought crap now! If I can perfect this twice in a row then imagine what wonders you can do!

What I find funny is though that even though I have several books on baking pies it was only a recipe in a book I bought last year because it was cheap and worth a squiz at some point, that had this most glorious tip of placing a pan of water on the bottom shelf. This helps the pie cook evenly so the sides won’t cook quicker and dry out before the rest of the pie cooks. This AMAZING tip will also help prevent cracks on the top of your pie and the dreaded pie sink.

New York Baked Cheesecake

If you are new to baking pies and such this New York Baked Cheesecake is an ideal place to start. Why no give it a go this weekend!

New York Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients
1 250g pkt plain biscuits
125g butter
2 x 250g pkts of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 teas vanilla essence
1 teas fine grated lemon rind
3 eggs

Method
Preheat oven to 160 deg c and grease a 6cm deep 22cm spring form cake tin.

Process the biscuits until it resembles fine breadcrumbs and add the melted butter. Blend until combined and then press into the base of the tin and 4cm up the side. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins.

Process the softened cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and lemon until smooth. Add the eggs separately and blend only until just combined. Pour the mix into the base. Place a roasting tray half filled with water on the bottom shelf. Bake in the centre of the oven for 50min to 1 hour until just set – the centre should still be just wobbly. Allow to cool in the oven for 2 hours with the door ajar and then chill overnight.

You will have around 12 individual serves.

So I’m at home bored out of my brain watching movies, sleeping, drinking tea and hoping this flu/cold whatever it is goes away soon. Hot lemon and honey will be on the menu soon I think, my throat is getting scratchy .

This week has actually been very good for me food wise the same can’t be said exercise wise. I have walked, I have ran but the consistencies were not there. In all fairness though I think that the cold does actually relieve me from my slackness. There is room to improve though . Once this flu is gone, it is on!

What do you do when you’re sick?

Based on CDC data

CHICAGO — The influenza virus hit the United States earlier and harder than expected this year. By early January more than half the states in the country were reporting high levels of influenza activity. The flu claimed more than 100 lives in Illinois alone where 667 people were hospitalized by Feb. 23, the most current figures.

The maps above show the progression of this year’s flu in each state, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has reported a steady decline in flu activity in most U.S. regions, but 12 states still show “widespread” activity. The CDC considers statewide outbreaks as widespread.

The most common strains of flu this year include influenza A, which is also known as H3N2, and influenza B. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against both strains. Overall, the vaccine was 56 percent effective, which the CDC considers a good grade. People who are vaccinated and contract the flu generally have milder symptoms and a shorter duration of the illness.

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Illinois Department of Public Health

CHICAGO — The worst may be over for the flu season that hit earlier than expected this season. Influenza levels in Illinois are no longer “widespread,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent data.

Illinois has experienced a high level of influenza activity for the last six weeks, but the CDC reported Friday that numbers have been gradually decreasing over the last month. The decrease has moved Illinois out of the widespread category.

The CDC reported that depending on the severity of the season, between 3,000 and 50,000 people die in the United States each year from influenza-related illnesses. Melaney Arnold from the Illinois Department of Public Health said that there have been 98 flu-related deaths in Illinois this year, with 651 total hospitalizations.

According to the department’s most recent data released last week, outpatient visits for influenza-like illness is now 2.6 percent, which is a huge decrease from the 3.3 percent the previous week. In addition, Illinois’ influenza activity is now being monitored and reported on a regional scale, instead of a widespread basis.

This flu season started in early December, which is earlier than previous years, according to the CDC. Despite the early start, Dr. Thomas Frieden, the CDC’s director, said in a congressional hearing that this season did not reach “pandemic proportions.”

Curtis Allen, a spokesman for the CDC, said 22 states are still reporting a widespread influenza activity level — a decrease from 31 states in the previous week and 38 states the week before.

“Overall it’s been a moderate-to-severe season,” Allen said. “Currently the influenza activity still persists but it’s going down at a steady pace.”

He said the number of deaths and hospitalizations are similar to the results of previous years that had a H3N2 strain circulating. The H3N2 strain, which is also known as influenza A, tends to be more severe. The CDC reported that as of Tuesday, there have been 78 pediatric deaths this season. Typically this number averages about 100 each year and Allen said unfortunately this was not a surprising result. He added that there was one thing the CDC did not expect this season: The vaccine’s effectiveness in different age groups.

Overall the vaccine was 56 percent effective, Allen said. The CDC reported that it was less effective against the influenza A strain — protecting 47 percent — and it protected 67 percent of those who received the vaccine from influenza B.

“Those are the typical numbers we’re going to see when the vaccine is well-matched with the strains being circulated,” he said. “But we did experience the biggest change in those 65 and older.”

According to the CDC, only 9 percent of people 65 years or older were protected from influenza A after receiving the vaccine, and about 90 percent of flu-related deaths this year were those in this same age range.

Allen said there are two important factors that determine the vaccine’s effectiveness: One is whether or not the vaccination is a close enough match to the strains circulating. The second is the age of the person receiving the vaccine and any chronic health problems they may have. He said that studies have shown that both age and health can diminish the body’s response to the vaccine and make someone more vulnerable for infection or further complications.

Even though the benefits for the vaccine vary for different age groups, Allen said it does not mean the public should lose faith in its overall effectiveness. It can still help to prevent the illness from spreading to others.

“It’s the best we have at the moment,” he said. “And because it’s the best we have, the best thing you can do is get vaccinated if you’re living with someone that’s very young or over 65.

“Bottom line is we need to advance the research on influenza vaccinations but we’re just not there yet.”

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