Sick is for Sissys

Every year I take my vitamins, eat lots of fruit and veggies and get lots of sleep. But somehow the cold fairy always seems to find me. Whether it is a case of the sniffles or feeling like I just got hit with a baseball bat I have a hard time admitting I am sick.

I don't know what it is about being sick that irritates me in to trying to avoid the obvious. Even as my sinus clog up (the polite version of what really happens) and my brain gets foggy I still hold firm that it is just my allergies.

After a week of blowing my nose to the point of taking off layers of skin..even after using three-ply with lotion...going to bed at 6o'clock with an unusual "cold cocktail" and taking every ounce of energy to crawl out the next morning.then and only then..I acknowledge that I have been beaten and let the cold take its course. On the flip side, I now only have to go through the congested lungs and final clear out stage before it is over.

I think it is my "I will win" attitude that stops me from admitting my weakness. You know you look bad when even your boss tells you "you look like shit" and that it is time to go home, curl up with my hot water bottle and watch crummy daytime TV. But as I lay there resting I think of the laundry, dishes and vacuuming and think to myself I must really be sick to be thinking of undone household chores. I really think it is the underlying guilt that as I lay there watching some daytime talk show the dust bunnies are taking over and if I get up and run a vacuum I will feel better. I KNOW! You should have seen the sad look of me as I took the dog for a walk. I think even the dog tried to keep his distance....."I know she is holding the leash...but honest..she is not with me"

I think the next time I get sick, as I am sure there will be a next time, I will move into a hotel. This way I can order soup, blow my nose and someone else will clean up after me. This way there is nothing for me to look at or think about. For now..sigh..I will get up and go do something productive and wait for that final nose blow when I can breathe again and my ears do not always feel like they need to be popped. Ahh the small things.