I haven't been sick in more than two years and I'm paying the price. Last week one of our inter-library loan students was a mucus-spewing avian flu-toting zombie; I started downing echinacea tea by the Thermos last Thursday to combat her germs and thought I had this thing licked. Yesterday, however, the aches started. Then, at 2am today, I woke stuffed as Norman Bates' owl, barely able to suck enough air through my swollen throat to swear at the universe.
I tried blowing my nose but the only result was a pain behind the eyes rather similar in intensity to a dentist's needle jabbed in the gums. The only alternative was to try and pull the blockage out the other direction, by sucking it out through the sinuses in the top of my throat. This was equally painful, but more effective.
Whatever's going on in there is awful--those two little drainage ducts feel raw and tender and angry. Trying to move whatever was jammed in my skull was as difficult as pulling a full-size paper grocery bag through a balloon's opening. When it finally emerged the goo was the consistency of brains and not dissimilar in color to Christo's Gates; it took ten minutes of painful sucking and hacking to deposit a jellyfish of woe in the bathroom sink, and two hours later I was at it again.
I'm miserable, and I have a pointless meeting in 30 minutes. I'm hoping whatever this infection is stays above the jawline--I'd prefer to avoid a recurrence of bronchitis or walking pneumonia, the curse of adjunct faculty and teachers everywhere.
6 comments:
Get well. Why are you at work?
Needless to say, I'm not stopping by tonight. No way.
Aw, c'mon! Take some germs home to the wee ones.
It's very very difficult for me to call in sick here, as I'm the only nighttime staff person. I may take a couple half days though.
Wow--what would they do if you were really sick? And what do they do if you want vacation?
Anyway, get better soon...
If I were really sick they'd prop me at the desk with a mask on.
I could call out, but it would be a problem for someone else--they'd need a volunteer to go home and then come back and cover for me.
I can take vacation in January or August when we're closed on the weekends and they can find volunteers to cover the nights. This year I plan on taking August off because I've already got more than a month of leave stored up.
Ugh! I hope you feel better. Everyone has the crud! I HATE WINTER!!!!
Em
Geoff--thanks for answering, I guess that's what they'd do here too, except there are 3 other night-time people they could call on. Hope you're feeling better.
Em, what exactly is the "crud"? And why would both a young woman living on the east coast and my Papa living in East Texas suddenly start using this term?
I hope it's nothing like Captain Trips...
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