Rough Week

Clearly, I overdid the partying on my vacation. By Monday evening, a tickle at the back of my throat heralded the arrival of the infamous sore throat that always marks the start of a cold. The throat is always the first and worst stop before the damned things move on to my respiratory system. I didn't want to take a sick day after being out of the office for six days straight, so I armed myself with cough drops and toughed my way through the work day, of course skipping gym after work.

I felt a lot better on Wednesday, still under the weather, but once I get through the sore throat I can bear most other symptoms. By Thursday I was developing a cough and a bad headache resulting from the cough. It was like my brain slammed into the side of my skull each time I had a fit. Thursday night my stomach was in knots, and I alternated between shivering and sweating throughout a restless night. I'm fairly caught up with my workload, and probably would have called in sick on Friday, were it not ironically the day my benefits forms were due.

So, I headed in, figuring I could always take half a sick day in the afternoon. When I met with my benefits representative, she informed me that since I was keeping the same medical and dental plans for 2009, I didn't actually need to hand in any forms. I found my office surprisingly chilly, and wondered if it was that cold or if I was feverish. I definitely wasn't 100% myself. At lunch, I found a sunny spot in a parking lot and blasted the heat for a bit, leaning back and closing my eyes. I opened them a half hour later feeling a lot warmer, and a lot healthier. Naps rule.

Amazingly, I could barely finish a sandwich. I was hungry, but my stomach felt tiny and twisted. I made it through the rest of the afternoon feeling somewhat better, and headed straight home for the fourth day in a row. It's been close to two weeks since I hit the gym, and they'd probably send me a get-well card if I wasn't still paying my monthly dues. Monday for sure I have to get back to my routine. I turned in early on Friday and slept a solid 10 hours. In the morning I felt a lot better except for a cough that led me to describe my lungs as a “glue factory”. My mom pointed out that I was delirious during the night, because she opened the door to check on me during a particularly loud fit and asked if I needed anything. “Well then you don't get a STAR!” I babbled, whatever that meant. It's just as likely I was in a dream state at the time.

I took it easy on Saturday, watching the latest Stargate Atlantis and the classic Easy Rider. Around 4:15, my parents took turns making noise about me being ready to take them to church on time. As annoying as it is to be nagged about going somewhere 40 minutes before you actually have to leave, it killed me because it was during the crucial last 11 minutes of Love Actually. I didn't expect it to be my kind of movie as the general sight of Hugh Grant makes me want to punch stuff, but it turned out to be a great ensemble of intertwined romantic comedies. You know how every one of those movies has that moment at the end where the guy has to run to catch the girl and tell her he loves her before it's too late? There were like ten of those moments happening at once when my door burst open and my dad shouted “You gonna be ready for church on time??”

It's been a while since I've lost my temper, and it probably would have been a lot worse if any sound came out. I yelled back, but all that came out was a high pitched whine, not unlike a boiling tea kettle. My cold had worked its way back up from the lungs to my vocal chords, and after a day of silence I didn't discover I'd lost my voice until I tried to yell. I dropped off my folks at the front of the church then found a parking spot, feeling a little chilled as I walked down the street. Later, when we got home after picking up some food, I found I couldn't fit more than a cheeseburger and some fries before feeling full. A fat guy with no appetite is about as funny as a mime telling jokes.

It's been a rough week. Typically, my worst colds last about 9 days so this one might be progressing quickly. I find I'm less prone to getting hit as badly when I'm exercising regularly, so I'm sure those days of zero exercise and increased eating and drinking took their toll. My dad, who was sick last weekend, still has some lingering symptoms. He's fortunately distracted by this device a doctor gave him to constantly vacuum out his shoulder wound, and our house has enjoyed the sounds of beeping as he plays with the buttons these past few days. My mom has been complaining of a sore throat, so even as my dad gets better and I anticipate getting better, her “fun” is just starting. My office has been a veritable choir of coughing and sneezing these past few days as well, so even as I feel better I'm sure I'll be re-exposed to the same germs that are going around. This is the time of year when everyone starts exchanging such “gifts”. I'll just be glad when I can speak without coughing, walk without feeling my knees crack, and turn my head without feeling like someone took an aluminum bat to it. I shouldn't complain though. The one good thing about being sick, even for a week, is that the week eventually ends.