Broken Record

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I've been sick all week. I finally broke down on Wed. and went to the doctor. He told me I have bronchitis and placed me on antibiotics. While the antibiotics have helped with my lung congestion, I have fought nausea and vomiting all week. I couldn't cancel classes as Friday was a scheduled furlough day and I couldn't afford missing any classes. On Thursday, during Principles of Psychology I had to excuse myself mid-class, run to my office (because the downstairs bathrooms are closed for remodeling), and in the nick of time grab my trash can (which has a plastic liner) and emptied the contents of my stomach. I returned to class, a little shaky, but continued on with the class. I know this sounds hardcore, but I have little choice in the matter. I know that my inability to cancel classes due to illness has contributed to how long it is taking me to recover from this horrid virus. Today is Sunday and I'm grateful that I have now turned a corner (knock on wood) and am beginning to feel more like myself. Just in time for a full week of classes. I pray that I don't have any further relapses as I think I've more than paid my dues!

Getting Through

This past week has been all about just "getting through." The virus that I wrote about in my last posting is still with me. The coughing and fatigue are what have taken hold. I can deal with coughing, but feeling like there is no fuel in my tank is what is difficult. But it is not enough that I'm still under the weather, I had to go and get braces on my teeth this past Tuesday. I had braces years ago for 3 1/2 years and I hated every minute of it! Now the braces are back because to quote my orthodontist (who has been treating my TMJ) "your mouth is a mess." He said the only way to correct the TMJ problem is to put the braces on. He told me I would have to wear them for a year, but that was before he took impressions and made the "your mouth is a mess" comment. I'm thinking they are going to be on for more than that. The good news was that he only placed them on my upper teeth as he needs to "open up my bite" before he can put the lower braces on. It hurts enough getting used to just the uppers so I'm grateful that I'm not having to deal with soreness on the inside of my bottom lip. I hope the next time I post here, I'll be talking about something other than being sick or having a sore inner upper lip.

Sickness in the House

Last weekend Cody began to complain that he had a sore throat, congestion, headache, bodyaches and fever. He clearly wasn't feeling well. He missed school on Monday and I prayed that I wouldn't get it. I simply do not have the luxury of cancelling classses due to sickness. We've already had to cancel two weeks of classes because of furloughs and there simply is no more room in the schedule for sickness. I made it all the way to Wednesday afternoon before I began to feel a heaviness in my upper chest. I immediately knew that "something" not good was coming my way. By Thursday morning I had bodyaches and fever and chills, but I drugged up and got myself to work. Thursdays are my shortest day as I only teach 2 classes and am done by 11:30. Happily I made it through my work day, but I was beginning to feel much worse. I took more drugs, went to bed early and prayed that the worst was over.

After a very rough night of chills and fever, headache, coughing, and body aches I knew that I wasn't going to be able to make my first two classes. I thought I might be feeling better to teach my 1 pm class. I went downstairs to call in and inform the dept. office that I needed to cancel my morning classes and was greeted by a voicemail message that the office was closed for a furlough day. Oh great! How am I going to cancel classes when no one is there to put the notice up on the classroom door? There were no instructions on the voicemail message on how to handle my circumstances. So, I sent a frantic email to my boss and thank God he has OCD tendencies just like me! He answered me within 2 minutes (he's always on line, just like me) and kindly offered to post a notification on my classroom door. The chair of the dept. is willing to do clerical duties to help one of his teachers out, simply wonderful. I couldn't ask for a better boss. He is so kind and helpful. I hope he's the chair for as long as I'm there because he simply is the best. No ego at all!

Back to bed and then I hear Dan starting to cough, that same hacking cough that I started to have 24 hours earlier and I know, he's starting down the same path. I was also very grateful that morning that Chelsea was able to drive herself and Cody to school and I didn't have to drag my virus ridden body out of bed to take them. At noon, I drugged myself up and got my virus ridden body into the car and made it to work and taught my Abnormal Psychology class. It was rough, but I couldn't cancel class as we start group work in one week and we didn't have a single class to waste in preparation.

I'm feeling better this morning. I'm still mucus filled, but the bodyaches are gone along with the chills and fever. I believe I'm well on my way to wellness, but poor Dan is where I was yesterday. He's drugged up now and soundly asleep. Chelsea thus far has made it through healthy, with no signs of viral invasion. I hope she will be able to escape this one because it is nasty.