I've been sick for a few days now. It started last week, a few days before my birthday. I woke up at 3 a.m. with a killer sore throat. And I didn't go back to sleep. Just watched t.v. and dragged myself to the shower at 5 and got ready for work.
I wound up leaving work early two days in a row, which isn't normal for me. My throat was on fire, and it is unusual for me to have such a bad sore throat after two days. Worried it might be strep I resolved to see the doctor the next day, my birthday of all days, and get checked out. My colds are usually pretty routine: dry, gritty throat the first day, then sniffles/congestion/cough over the next week. I had none of the other symptoms yet, so I was a little concerned.
I woke up on my birthday feeling the same. It was my birthday, I was sick, and feeling sorry for myself. My regular doctor couldn't squeeze me in, as she was soooo booked. But I could see the other doctor. Fine, fine.
I got to the office expecting a mob scene, and instead ...nobody. I was literally the only person there. What happened to my regular doc being overbooked? Anyway...
They took me in right away, and the doctor took 10 minutes to examine me. The rest of the hour was spent waiting and reading my book, as the doctor tried to find a lab that did a "rapid" strep test. The usual ones take 24 hours, the next day was Saturday, blah blah. I finally had enough after waiting for a 20 minute period. I got my stuff and left the room. She came running after me, and decided that we'd do the normal test there, and if it was strep I'd hear from the on-call doctor the next day. She also said if any regular cold symptoms came about, it was just a virus and not strep (Note: it's not strep).
I got back home and took a half day from work. I wound up doing nothing but watching t.v. in a half daze, drinking ginger ale and eating throat drops. Later at night, my throat started to feel better, so I had dinner with my family.
The minute I walked in the door from dinner, my nose started running and I felt even worse. I started to feel like a truck hit me. So, comforted by the small fact that it probably wasn't strep and just a regular cold, I made a semi-permanent home on the couch downstairs with blanket, tissues, remote, and the never ending stock of ginger ale.
I don't know what it is about having a cold, but this one has wrecked me. I remember being sick as a kid, but I don't remember being such a baby about it. I mean, what can you do? You stay in bed, watch cartoons, sleep, and don't go to school. Mom or Dad will bring you soup and crackers, maybe some Dimetapp grape medicine and you get over it. Everyone is sympathetic and you feel kind of special because of the fuss they make over you.
But as an adult...it's different. I literally did not move off that couch for two days. I couldn't accept that I was so sick and miserable. I had no energy. I couldn't do laundry. I couldn't get my own ginger ale. I was hot one minute. Cold the next. I didn't cook dinner. Of course I did have to make my own soup (hmph) but my legs needed the ten minute excuse to exercise. I cursed all the bad t.v. on Saturday. I actually despaired at all the work I missed those three days I left early. And I was exhausted. I'm not the type of person that sleeps a lot when sick. I'm uncomfortable and I just toss and turn. And a lot of that over-the-counter medicine doesn't really help me. I'm not into Nyquil. So I suffer.
But the worst (this hasn't happened yet, but I'll bet it does at work tomorrow) are the adults who have to scream out, "You're sick? Don't get me sick!" or the even more pleasant, "Don't come near me!" I remember a person I worked with said to me once, "Oh you sound awful! I'm staying away from YOU!" in front of a few people. I said, "Thanks, so-and-so. That's exactly what I want to hear when I feel like shit. And don't worry, I don't want to go near you either." That shut her up, and she looked pretty pissed that I said it. I guess she is the only one who can be a bitch, eh?
What happened to the "Oh you poor thing! How are you feeling?" What happened to getting a lollipop at the doctor? LOL. When I called my doctor in the morning, the receptionist actually asked me to where a mask in the waiting room, which they supply. A mask! Can you imagine? It's a cold, lady. Not TB or swine flu! For the record, I didn't wear one. This is because 1) they were stacked in a community basket, and not individually wrapped. So I can get other germs from people touching them? and 2) I was the only one in the waiting room. However, the new doctor (who I'll never see again) actually wore a mask when looking at my throat.
So I guess when you're younger and don't have all the responsibilities, you can deal with being sick. But the older I get, the more sorry I feel for myself when I have a cold (especially when it happens on your birthday or a holiday). I just hope this is the last cold I have for awhile, because I'm out of sick days at this point and have done enough feeling sorry for myself.
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