An uninvited guest

Recently we saw temperatures like this!

We all rejoiced that spring was in the air! Sunshine and warmer temperatures are such a welcomed guest as we come out of these L-O-N-G Siberian winters.

But, seems as soon as we have a few days of nice weather, an uninvited guest often makes his appearance at the doorstep.

The Russian flu virus begins making its rounds. 

When we first arrived here as missionaries my husband seemed to be the only one who was bitten by this bug. After caring for him for through the long two weeks of illness, I couldn't imagine our daughter coming down with it. High fever, vomiting, stomach pain, aching muscles, weakness, and exhaustion were all symptoms of this terrible flu virus. For several years, my hubby caught the virus each year. Then, it seemed his immune system was strong enough to keep him from coming down with it and the virus left us alone for many years. 

This year, it paid us another visit. Although it was a bit different of a strain and we didn't have any vomiting (except for oldest son who has an easily triggered gag reflex and can't handle post-nasal drip). So, once my husband got the virus, along with an upper respiratory infection and laryngitis, our daughter was next in line, followed by our youngest son, then me, and last but not least, our oldest son with the sensitive gag reflex. I thank the Lord that the oldest son got sick last since I needed more energy to keep up with his "problems".

One of the best things about being here on the mission field, as is the same on many mission fields, is the availability of medications. In America, when we get sick, we have to go to the Doctor, pay him money to tell us what we know is wrong with us, then go to the pharmacy to purchase the proper medicines he has prescribed (which we already knew we needed) and pay more money just to get our hands on them. 

Here, I   can walk to a pharmacy and ask my neighbor who is the pharmacist for the medications we need to helps us get over what ever is ailing us, pay her somewhere around ten dollars to purchase the medications, and walk home. Done! While this is convenient for our family, you can see how it does give drug abusers easy access to many drugs that cost a little more than a few pennies. There is some control on a few of the more commonly abused drugs, but we all know that the reality is they are still pretty easily accessible. So, there are negatives and positives with being able to purchase whatever medications you want. However, for our family it is a blessing for sure that Momma can take care of the family without us all having to go to a doctor's office or hospital and risk being exposed to even more uninvited guests.

Plus, they still LOVE to give shots here just like the old days in America! Bleh!

Bactrim, cough medicine (from the US), and Azithromycin purchased here in Russia.

Now don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for our children's pediatrician and the comfort that a good check-up and some routine childhood immunizations bring to my heart after being on the field for four years without them! But, when we are sick with a simple bug or virus, home sweet home is the best place to be!