Coming at you from Sick Day #2 of the week over here (well, more like Sick Day #5, technically, but I mean Sick Day #2 off of work).
I started getting a sore throat on Friday but didn’t think too much of it really. I had several long phone calls on Thursday and I sat and chatted with another soccer mom during Asher’s entire soccer game on Thursday night. So I actually thought my voice was just fatigued.
Also, our weather has been super weird- warm and cold mixed with rain/storms last week. I find sometimes drastic weather changes can make me feel off.
Saturday it was still sort of there, but didn’t seem that bad- more just annoying, some pain with swallowing. Sunday it started to hurt more, and I started feeling progressively lousier as the day went on.
Ivan gets a Gold Star Husband Award for Sunday. First he drove Ethan to and from a soccer game in LaCrosse (~2 hour drive from here, so they were gone from like 7 a.m- 2:30 p.m.). Then he basically got home, turned around and had to leave again to drive Asher to a 4 p.m. volleyball game (~30 minutes each way). After that he stopped at the Mexican grocery store to pick up some flank steak for dinner and some fresh avocadoes, drove home, and cooked up chilaquiles verdes, fresh guacamole and steak for dinner. (IT WAS SO GOOD.) Then he cleaned it all up and still did all of our laundry Sunday night! He also cut the grass on Saturday. (And the best part- I didn’t have to ask him to do any of it.)
The kids informed me that “dad doesn’t cook very often, but when he does, it’s like, better.” 😑 Thanks, guys.
(I said, well, maybe that’s because he is not usually trying to squeeze cooking into a little tiny sliver of open time on a Tuesday night between 5:30-6 in between driving you guys places…)
Despite not feeling 100%, on Sunday I still had to drive Asher to and from work in the morning, then took him to his volleyball games at 12 and 1, and then got groceries in the afternoon, so it’s not exactly like I was a lady of leisure myself. But I did appreciate that Ivan did the heavier lifting this time and did the far away driving. I just was not in the mood for that.
By Sunday evening I was feeling worse and worse, though. The sore throat was now also a cough, headache, sniffles, the whole deal. 😦
I ended up taking off work yesterday (Monday), which is something I always feel a little funny about since I work from home. I mean, obviously I’m not going to contaminate anyone!
But I decided this is a SILLY MINDSET. I have tons of available sick time, and that’s what it is there for. Why should I drag myself through trying to work when I feel terrible and just want to rest? I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do any quality work, anyway.
I had a really low-key day. Mostly just lounged on the sunroom futon (which was nice, as it was lightly raining for part of the day and I had the window open). I also did some light photo organizing, but nothing that needed any brainpower.
I have gone through almost an entire bottle of Dayquil at this point. Lol.
Last night we watched Mama Mia 2: Here We Go Again which is one of my favorite movies, because I happened to see that it is leaving Netflix today. Ivan watched part of it with me (in between running Asher to/ from swim practice).
My cough is still hanging around, and my throat is still killing me. I woke up this morning and felt like I was swallowing razorblades. Awful!! (Now a few hours later, it’s feeling a little better, after more Dayquil.) I’ve been contemplating calling the doctor, but at the same time, I’m 99% sure it’s viral and there’s nothing to do anyway. (I do not think it’s strep, since usually strep does not have the cough/ runny nose/head pressure, etc. that I also have).
Asher had a little bout of a sore throat/ cough last week but it was very short lived and seemed way more minor than what I am experiencing! Ah, well. In fairness, I have not been sick in a LONG time. So I guess I had it coming. Better now than next month in Hawaii?
I did take off work again today. I still just feel very crappy, and as soon as I hit publish here am going to lay back down.
On the plus side, it’s supposed to be a beautiful day here, so maybe I can go nap on the deck or something.
Can anyone relate to having complex feelings about taking sick days when you work from home? I feel like I have to be much “sicker” in order to justify taking a day off compared to when I worked in person. But another part of me feels like that’s kind of messed up. Why should we be expected to work if we aren’t feeling well?
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for some sunshine today.
GRATEFUL KAE 
Oh gosh, this is me, on the exact same timeline! I just assumed I had been too chatty, weather was weird… but surprise, it’s Covid. I took a 2 hour nap today, which I never ever do.
I worked Sunday and Monday because the government was about to collapse, but took today fully off. I’ve got deadlines for the end of the week, so hoping I feel better tomorrow.
My husband is much better at taking sick days, his work is so responsive, someone does it if he’s not there, but it’s not like someone is going to write my articles or teach my classes if I’m not there.
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Ahh sorry you’re sick too!! Yeah obviously crossed my mind could definitely be Covid here too but it looks like our stockpile of tests has run out and I was debating running to the pharmacy to get some but then am also kind of like… ehhh… what would I exactly change “management wise” at this point? Like I’m already just home and resting and drinking fluids and if it’s positive I won’t really do anything differently anyway at this point…. ?
I hope you feel better soon!!
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Update- I did actually find a Covid home test in our bathroom cabinet and it was negative. So I guess just another yucky virus!
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Boo to being sick! Yes I can relate to feeling pressure (from myself) to work when I’m sick. Also, I feel like when I get sick it’s always a virus so there is no point in going to the doctor and I just have to wait it out. It doesn’t help that this time of year is when allergy season starts, so pretty much everyone has a sore throat right now.
That steak with the guac tho…that looks seriously yummy. I hope you feel better soon!
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I know, all week I have been like… should I call the doctor?? But then it’s like, nah… seems like mostly a waste of my time. I’m certain it’s not strep and it’s always “just a virus”… I mean obviously there are times it’s warranted to go, but I really think here it’s just a bad virus.
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So so sorry to hear that things got worse since we last chatted (not working out due to sore throat). Definitely take sick leaves… and feel no guilt! That’s your RIGHT!!!
Kudos to Ivan for doing all the heavy lifting, which in another way, it’s also your RIGHT to not have to do those things when feeling sick. Not so “kind” of the boys to like daddy’s cooking, when he cooks once in a long while… hahaha… but that dish does look very delish!
Getting sick is never fun but sometimes I feel like it’s our body’s intelligence to tell us to slow down, rest, sleep, kind of “force” us to rest in a way, which is probably what our body needs. And you get more immunity to get sick later. Anyway… that’s how I justify when I don’t feel my best.
finger crossed, you are getting over the worst and feel better soon.
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Yes, I had that thought too- too much going on, too generally stressed etc… it catches up eventually! Have to slow down or life will find a way to slow us down, I guess.
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Ugh, I hate sore throats SO MUCH!!!! It’s my worst case scenario sick symptom. I know yours isn’t Covid, but when I had Covid a couple years ago- the omicron variant- I had the worst sore throat ever. I was taking Dayquil just to take the edge off it, it was so painful.
I hope you feel better SOON! And since you have sick days available, I’m very glad you’re taking them. Like you said, why should you work when you’re so miserable.
Ivan deserves a medal for his Sunday heavy lifting!!!!!
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ME TOO! It’s the worst because it feels like you’re being tortured every time you swallow and there’s no way to get away from it! I always feel like the medicines only marginally help my sore throats. After several days of it it is getting really old! I think it’s finally starting to subside a bit here today. Still there, but I think starting to lessen finally.
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As sI’m so sorry you are sick. That is the pits. The boys both got nasty colds a couple of weeks ago and my dad got the same thing which turned into a sinus infection so they must have picked it up in Fl. Then Phil started to get it a couple of days ago – right in time for his busiest time of the month when I am traveling (typing while waiting to board my SFO flight). Hopefully I continue to avoid it but that seems unlikely since I am on a fairly high dose of pred for my stupid flare her won’t quit which suppresses my immune system.
I have rarely taken a day off work when I am sick which is kind of stupid because I think I prolong the illness by working through it. But it is trickier to take days off now that I have so many client meetings… Phil is the worst about this, though. He didn’t take any days off last fall when he had pneumonia!! He was so sick but he is so busy at work and doesn’t really have a true back up so he worked through it. At one point my mom texted him to tell him to take time off because she was worried about him. I mean he lost 10 lbs and he didn’t have 10 lbs to lose! But he said he was taking it easy which she thought meant he took the day off… but he so didn’t. He did not go into the office when he was really sick though.
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Oh wow, Phil!! Not good!!! My job involves a lot of close reading, analyzing charts, etc and with feeling headachy and yucky, I was like there is no way I can really do that while feeling like this! It’s been okay today now back to work, so hoping the worst is behind me now.
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Oh no! I hope you are feeling much better today! It seems like spring illnesses are abundant right now — so many of my friends and their kids are getting sick.
I think you did the right thing by taking sick days. That’s what they’re there for! And it seems like it would be hard to give 100% if you did work, and probably it would delay your recovery. Rest is so important!
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Yes, very true! I think I just feel funny because I WFH, you know. Like I feel like someone might say, well you can wear your PJs and still work from the couch. Or whatever. (Not that I think we should! And doing knowledge type work while all out of sorts/ not feeling well does not equal good work I’m sure, anyway.)
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You did the right thing! Those days are YOURS, take them 🙂 Oh and feel better!
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Thanks! Yes, a good reminder. No sense in trying to be the hero! Most of what I’m working on isn’t like super time sensitive urgent TODAY necessarily, so it can wait.
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Sore throats are the worst. Give me headache and the sniffles any day! I hope you’re feeling better by now… (I realize I will probably find out in one of your more recent posts because I am commenting late ;))
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