Beware of the dreaded Flangover.

Dear Heavy Drinkers and Flu Shot Recipients,

My dearest of friends Abigail (pictured above... no, not the Canadian) has brought to my attention that the combination of receiving a flu shot and then knocking back a couple Bud heavys could lead to a potentially disturbing set of circumstances the morning thereafter.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you.... the Flangover.

I received a call from Abby earlier today that went something like this:

"Hullllohh."

"Abby, you sound like shit."

"I feel like shit."

"Get drunk last night?"

"Not really, had a few."

Stop.  Quick clarification:  Abby being hungover after only a few beers is quite the rarity.  I usually don't make the mistake of boosting her self-confidence (doesn't need it, rather the opposite, I'm not one to talk), but she handles her liquor better than your favorite uncle.

A couple hours later we text battle:

D:  "You doing any better?  Still feeling shitty?"

A:  "I definitely puked.  But I'm not hungover I don't think?? I hope to god I don't have the flu. :("  

Sidenote: Something about you women and your emoticons really gets me going.

D:  "Can you get sick from the shot?"

A:  "Oh yeah.  That's usually why I never get the shot... but gosh darnit..."

D:  "Well fuck.  How long does the bastard usually linger?"

A:  "IF it's even the flu? My body could just be pissed at me because I haven't stopped for about 4 weeks now..."

D:  "Maybe it's a genetic mutation of the flu and a hangover.  The Flangover."

Well, well, well.  The combination of kicking back a few and a flu shot did her in.  Quite the scientific discovery (disclaimer: no science was done in the finding of this discovery).

Now I'm warning all of you, because this is a very important time of year.  It's flu season (not sure if that's true) and it's drinking season (always true), so the Flangover is extra prevalent during these times of hardship.

So what valuable lesson can we learn from Abby's terribly pukey day?

Hangovers cannot be avoided.

Love,

Damian