• water/ tea
• water bottle for liquids when in bed
• cold/flu meds
• minimal food intake
• garlic pills
• more water 

Most of the above are self explanatory, but the flu/ bad colds can affect a person differently. One might gets the runs while another loses their hearing temporarily (I lost my hearing and sense of smell, but was so hungry because I could still taste).

Just to help your body out, you need to keep fluid intake up up, more than you usually would, and should reduce food intake in case you get the runs, but you need to feed yourself to keep yourself strong while your body fights the bad germs! Garlic pills are helpful too, but careful as they are a blood thinner. It didn't stop me--I took about 60. Don't do that.



 Cold & flu meds are important. Pick your poison and do what is your body needs to get better, but be safe and legal. I take a lower amount so I go with the equate brand or Dayquil so I can take the capsules more often (every two or three hours), whereas taking Mucinex, while it's around triple the strength, should only be taken once every 12 hrs--and a lot can happen in that 12 hrs.

While running to bathroom a lot to pee, you'll need some entertainment in between blowing out a year's worth of snot and mucus, and feeling miserable. I found and am finding that starting an anime is perfect (as long as you can still hear), editing photos, watching YouTube videos or listening to music is good when you need a distraction while you cry from that headache.

• all the pillows you own for maximum comfort
• mp3 player
• a truckload of tissues

Propping yourself up with a lot of pillows is deal, so the phlegm doesn't settle in your chest and lungs overnight, go deeper and cause more of an infection. I created a T shape with three of my regular bed pillows, to help kind support to my neck and back (while I coughed and spluttered all night long). I did listen to music one night after constantly waking up every 45 mins. And yes, I still went to work though all of this. I wanted that $$$! (ah~~capitalism~~!)

You need to become a tissue princess because basically, three layers of skin will fall off of your nose and cheeks from blowing it with tissues, after running out of tissues and switching to toilet paper out of desperation. Your upper lip will feel like sandpaper, so grab a facial mist and spritz, so you don't have to touch your face and spread germs unnecessarily. You also want to avoid the eyes--when having the flu, your eyes will produce extra gunk so try not to touch them, even with clean hands. Just avoid it.

 also essentials:

• facial mist
• sleeping pack, moisturizer or Vaseline (for nose)

I ended up spraying some Evian water to my face to help cool me down.  By some, I mean dousing my face with it while I was sweating.  When I was better (moved onto the "less snot and fever" stage, towards the "coughing and loss of hearing" that I'm in now), I applied a Laneige sleeping pack on my face to help it regain some moisture.

I'll reiterate with the important of fluids. I used the bottle that I use currently at work--a sturdy plastic PET bottle, previously filled with peach water, bought at a local Korean market--and I fill it with regular ol' water. The bottle holds 1.5L (~50 fl oz.) so even if you drink two of those throughout the day, you'll be better off.  I tried to push for three on a couple of days, just downing water as much as could stand it, in hopes that I could just drown the germs and flush them out!

I started this fun last Monday (Sept 19?), from not feel too peachy after finishing work that day. I busted my ass out on that Tuesday (working hella hard) and that's where it went downhill. Last Wednesday and Thursday (my days off) were very rough and I basically spent them in bed, hacking up snot from my nose and sweating from a fever--the whole thing came on suddenly! The kicker: I hadn't gotten my flu shot yet, so I suspect I caught the flu, since its been going around at work and there was a heavy workload.

That Thursday, I had lost my voice, too.Last Friday (my Monday), I had to leave early from work and go home.  I had a fever, was sweating and felt so dizzy. I couldn't walk or move fast like how usually do, so when I came into work the following morning, I couldn't really hear or or talk well.

After drinking a lot of water and taking a shitton of garlic pills, a week later, I still have a nasty cough and some minor nose ickiness but I am much better than before, since I've been progressively getting better. I am not my best yet, but I'm getting there.

Stay well, everyone! Please get your flu shots and wear a jacket!