Wednesday, February 27, 2008

On Being Sick

I don't know about you, but two days is just about all I can stand of being sick. I get frustrated and snarky about the things I want to be doing that I'm not. My nose gets red and sore from all the blowing and I just want my old healthy self back. Nothing makes you appreciate your regular old healthy life like being sick.


I saw my doctor today who says it might be the flu. It is not a sinus infection which is what I feared. I got a pat on the back, a cortisone shot to speed up my decongesting, and a reminder to drink plenty of water and get some rest. Easy to say, but hard to do when sitting, or god forbid, lying down causes my nose to stop up as thoroughly as an old fashioned champagne bottle – no air in, no air out. This, my doctor assures me, will pass.


As for resting, I am tired of resting. I am impatient with the resting. My head hurts too much to read for any length of time and I am tired of daytime television, even the shows on my dvr. When watching Bobby Flay grill a swordfish or Jamie Oliver wax rhapsodic about rhubarb fails to make me happy, I know I am in a bad way.


I want to feel a little spring in my step once again. I want to look forward to The Kid's getting out of school and not dread the five minute drive and argh – conversations with the other moms and dads who take one look at me and say, "Um, how are you feeling?" I want to cook dinner and not be exhausted just thinking about it.


But for now I'll have to settle for washing my face and finding something easy to pull together for dinner. I'll try to keep from coughing and hacking while I sit through The Kid's karate class and if I wake up tomorrow feeling better, I'll try not to take it for granted.

11 comments:

  1. redhead to redhead...feel better. even when i'm feeling well i dread the after school mommy conversations. is that wrong? it feels wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm sorry you're feeling badly. I hope you feel better soon.

    I loved reading about you on Mrs. G's blog. I'm a red-headed Texan, too (now living in California). :)

    The poem about poetry rocked, btw! So much truth in it. I liked the line about how poetry is more shadow than statue.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Honey, you have the flu all right. What are you doing out of bed at all??

    It took my (20yo) daughter a solid week to get over this. She slept most of the time. Go back to bed!

    Take comfort in knowing that even when you are feeling near death, your hair is still beautifully, vibrantly red!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Laura, hope you're feeling better soon. I stumbled across your blog this morning, after have just discovered Mrs. G a few days ago, and I think I know you from years ago at CUPress. Could it be?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Why yes! I worked at CU Press for five years while my husband PhDed up on the hill...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thought so! I worked in Marketing for about two years, left shortly after my first son was born to go do a MS in Education at Binghamton.

    Good to catch up with you. I'm enjoying your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I live in San Antonio too, I think something must be blooming here because I have the same symptoms. The only thing that works is Benadryl but then I can't function, so I don't know what's worse.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You must be really sick if Food Network isn't helping. I think you'll be on the mend soon though (I believe the more intense your symptoms, the quicker you'll get over it). Hope you feel better soon!

    P.S. I'm stuck in the East Texas you mentioned... Where are you now?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, sorry about that. I just read your post about San Antonio. duh.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It'll pass before you know it...then you'll be back to taking good health for granted again! ;)

    Books on tape? Would that help? But if cable isn't working, I don't know what to suggest!

    ReplyDelete