Today I Learned....

My Mom has the flu.  I'm quite worried since she's older now.... so we'll just leave it as a simple statement and not get in to details.  I was terrified that I had somehow given her my whatever but her symptoms are different and her doctor has said "flu" and that it seems that the flu shot they gave this year isn't the strain of flu that seems to be hitting so many folks.  (They kind of guess every year and so yeah.)

So last week I got a call from her the evening she'd told me she wasn't feeling well asking if I had Gravol (an anti-nausea medication if you live elsewhere as it can go by a different brand name in other places) and I went and looked and I had two packets.  One that had expired five years ago and one that expired a year ago.  Oops! (Guess I don't use it that often?  Yay?)  I said I would go out and get some and bring it to them.

I got to the store and was shocked to find out that Gravol gets locked up once the pharmacists go home (even though it's over the counter and just out on the shelves) and that there is no way to get any past Pharmacist hours.  I stood staring at the sign for quite a while hoping that somehow the words would change in to "ask someone to unlock this!" 

So I called my parents.  Explained that all I had was expired Gravol but that I'd bring it to them.  And so I went home and got it and drove to theirs.  (Now mind you, I was rather in probably a panic attack and had the thought that I maybe shouldn't have been driving but I just tried to pull myself together and be extra cautious and mindful.)

I had also suggested my Mom call 811 (our province's non urgent health care number) and when I got there she was on the phone with a doctor (WONDERFUL!)  The doctor assured her that expired Gravol is safe (non harmful) and that worst case it might just not be effective.  But also (likely due to Mom's age and the worry of fall risk) cautioned that it might make her dizzy/woozy and so to essentially take it in bed. (It was about 10pm by this time.  The latest the three of us have been up together in years and years!) 

The Gravol seems to have helped her feel a bit better and get a good night's sleep (she is currently feeling better but still under the weather and coughing so now just hoping she continues to improve and that my Dad doesn't catch/get it from her... they said as long as she is symptomatic she is contagious and that it could be up to two weeks and that the cough might linger for longer)

So yeah, the point of this post wasn't that my Mom caught the flu but that Gravol is apparently a slightly controlled substance and you can't buy it past whatever time a pharmacist is around.  I had no idea.  Now I do.