Stomach flu is an effective vacation-killer, but can also help you to bond with your boyfriend’s mother. Brian promptly got sick about six hours after I arrived in Pittsburgh. We decided earlier to stay at his mom’s place because his dad was already sick with the stomach flu on Christmas day, but since Brian had already stayed there before I arrived, he got infected. His mother and I, united with a mutual desire to Not Get Sick, wiped down everything repeatedly with clorox disinfecting wipes, laundered towels and clothes and everything else with gloves, washed our hands obsessively, and banished poor Brian to the basement bathroom and couch for the duration. Possibly a tad cruel, but it did the trick—if we were going to get sick, we would have by now.
Just FYI, the “stomach flu” is actually either a bacterial or viral infection and isn’t transmitted through the air or saliva. You can get it if someone who is sick doesn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom and contaminates a surface (door handles, switches, dishes, etc.) , or if you use the same bathroom that they do. You can’t get sick from being in the same room with someone who is. It’s totally so much more disgusting than having a cold or the flu, but it’s somewhat less contagious if you take lots of extra precautions.
