Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Suckyness of Sickness

Eleven days and counting. That's how long I've had this cold. ELEVEN DAYS. Quite frankly, it's about 7 too many. My false bravado lasted through day four, but with no weekend, midterms, and throwing caution to the wind for a stellar biography...my resolve crumbled.

I took two "personal health days" on Monday and Tuesday; of course I didn't actually rest all day. I ran the errands I had been putting off, I still had a quiz in Spanish, and of course I couldn't not show up at work. That said, I wasn't out of bed before 10 am either day, and one night was asleep before 10 pm.

The result...sicker than before and now behind in five classes.

However, there is karmic justice in the world. I cannot be well (which is clearly the ideal), but my professors are dumping assignments from their syllabi right and left. After a professor dropped an assignment in one class I muttered, "Thank you Lord Jesus" and a girl laughed at me. Little did she know it was a sincere, heart-felt, honest prayer of thanks.

I don't think I could handle one more late paper right now. You see, I have this masochistic trait for demanding excellence of myself. This does not include groveling, excusing, late work, make-up tests, or getting less than an A on anything. Therefore sickness + behind = a whole lot of bad angry. And coughing.

Oh the coughing. Today I coughed so hard I almost threw up. I also coughed so hard tears started streaming down my face, and my professor stopped class to make sure I was ok. I eventually had to excuse myself to go have a royal coughing fit in the bathroom (where I'm sure it sounded like I was retrieving last week's lunch from my lower intestine through my esophagus). Afterward I was exhausted, like they say people who have seizures get. I just wanted to go to sleep.

But no, instead I walked to the middle of campus to get lunch, walked back past where I had started to the end of campus to eat and go to class. Class let out early, which only meant I could make more of my staff meeting that I was missing, and then I show up to work to find I am doing the paperwork with a new client (a process that takes at least two hours).

But it's ok because it's almost over, and tomorrow I can take a nap. I hope.

2 comments:

  1. Yeah, being sick bites. I managed to chase mine off by overdosing on orange juice, taking a couple doses of Alka-Seltzer Cold Plus, and sleeping more (aided by the Cold Plus). Not 100%, but much better.

    Hope you get feeling better soon!

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  2. Oh how do I love you, let me count the ways. I am so sorry you are sick, and even sorrier (sp?) that it was likely our family who passed on the infectious microbes. So...I laughed laughed laughed and loved your polka dot post, which is not a good thing since I am sitting in class and supposed to be enthralled in the lecture. You are brilliant.

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