One of the joys of my life is that I tend to only get sick about once a year. Other times when sickness tries wiggle in, I can nap for a few hours and wake up and be fine, or sleep overnight and kick it.
When I do get sick, I take a light day from work, where I go home between chore times, take it easy, nap a bit, and then I’m okay in a day or two.
A week ago Thursday evening, I got a scratchy throat. I took a light day on Friday. The scratchy throat progressed to ouchie throat and lasted through the weekend.
On Monday I bundled up and went back to work and scheduled a doctor’s appointment for the afternoon. The Doctor said I looked fine, and gave me a prescription for Wednesday in case I wasn’t feeling better.
Tuesday my workmates tried to send me home but I didn’t want to sit at home and feel useless.
I woke up Wednesday morning with a fever. That’s when I began to realize that I was probably sicker than I thought and by going out in the (sudden) cold, I was just making myself worse.
Then I had my call with my mother and she smacked some sense into me, at which point I had to come to grips with the fact (I was now almost a week in) that I was, in fact, really sick and I needed to sit on my couch and do nothing.
So after discussions with my boss and workmates, I proceeded to send my husband out for battle supplies and I spent Thursday, all of it, on the couch watching movies and playing Zelda.
By Thursday afternoon I realized I wasn’t going to be better by tomorrow, so I called in for a second (!?) day off.
I didn’t sleep again Friday night, in fact I was brought into sharp awareness by the feeling of something draining out of my left ear. (Now, I have no hearing in my left ear, result of a surgery gone bad, so I am super sensitive about things going on in my ears.) I got an appointment with the doctor for 3:45 Friday sometime Friday morning, and then I slept until 2.
I actually felt much better on the sick front. Then I went to the doctor and was told my ears were red and horrible (infected) and I was given another antibiotic in addition to a steroid shot.
Friday night was the first time in a week I slept through the night. I took it easy Saturday as well, doing some laundry, playing some Zelda, doing some writing. Saturday I also slept through the night, so I think I’m on my way to recovery now.
It took me that long and that much hassle to admit to myself that I needed to take it easy. I am so human.
In light of my week, I am curious what things other people are stubborn about like this?
