Again, This Was Inevitable, Really...

Well, it finally happened. BJ, our roommate and last healthy person in the apartment, has succumbed to the plague. He has a fever and a sore throat and is currently sacked out on the couch. Why, I'm not sure, but there it is. Ryan's at work, and Sameh's still asleep, so I'm the only awake person in the house. Woo?

Felt better last night, so I texted the co-worker who needed her shift covered, who no longer needed it covered. I was then awake half the night solely because of my drippy nose, getting up several times to either attempt to quietly blow it (so as not to wake Ryan), or go into the hallway and really blow it. Pretty miserable night. And, thanks to our room being very warm and dry, even with a fan, every single tissue I use ends up some shade of red or pink. Yay.

Otherwise, I'm okay. My throat still feels swollen and sore, but it's definitely going away. The dripping nose is even better for the moment, I think mostly because there can't possibly be anything left in there. Still, I've learned my lesson: never try to bluff your cold. It may get worse on you just to prove whose boss.

In other, non-sick news, I played with Photoshop quite a bit yesterday. You can see what I did over here at my phototumblr. I may continue experimenting today....:D

Better...For Now?...

This has been, and continues to be, an extremely obnoxious cold virus. Spent Tuesday on the couch, riding the hot flashes and chills of a fever, feeling exhausted and aching, ending the night feeling almost human again. Within a couple of hours of getting up yesterday, I realized that not going to work was a very wise decision, as trying to work while exhausted, weak, and aching would have been pointless and miserable. The fever returned in the evening, only to go away again by bedtime. No fever today, but the ache in my neck comes and goes, my nose is very drippy, and my ear continues to painfully let me know it's there, as it has since last night.

This has also been the grossest cold I've ever had to deal with. Every sneeze is...productive. And you don't want to know about the cough yesterday that helped me breathe better. EW.

On the upside, again, there's currently no fever, and I don't feel nearly as tired or weak as I did yesterday. My head hurts from congestion and sinus pressure, but at least it's no longer my entire face, as it was last night. Overall, I am feeling better. I don't trust it, but there it is.

I hate that it's been so up and down, though. I have a co-worker trying to get her shift covered tomorrow night so she can take her not-quite-one-year-old kid to his father's without passing him off to a relative he doesn't know well. I'd be happy to take the shift--hell, I've had three days off now, why do I need a fourth? Plus, hi money I've lost this week!--but I don't trust my immune system one bit right now. And if there's one thing I've learned over the past two weeks, trying to get my shifts covered so I could first take Ryan to the doctor, and then take care of myself, it's that having someone answer with "Yes, I can do that for you," can be a freaking miracle. I have a much greater appreciate for that, and I want to be able to do more of it myself if called upon. But if I did it now, and I went sick again tomorrow, it would screw over even more people. I hate that.

Ergh.

Anyway. Trying to get some writing done today, but I can't seem to get started. Feel up to doing laundry, but waiting for Ryan to get home so I can get his work clothes (and so he can help haul clothes if I start flagging again). If I'm feeling even better tonight, I may even get us wrapping and packing presents finally. I really hate that we won't be getting presents to people until almost a month after Christmas >.< At least we didn't send germs to anyone?

Oh well. Wish me luck with my tasks. The calls and comments and such have been very appreciated this week :)

Second Sick Day From Starbucks.

Well, my fever's down today, but I still feel very weak and tired, and definitely not up to what work would demand of me.

Yesterday, when Other Store Manager called back to let me know I was covered for the day, she mentioned covering me for today as well. Thing is, I was half awake and couldn't really hear her during the call, so I missed the part about having to call at least two hours before the shift starts. Yesterday I only gave her an hour, then she told me that, and today I gave her an hour and a half, completely unaware of what I was doing. She wasn't awful about it, but she did mention that my Boss Lady would be giving me a coaching conversation about it. So...d'oh, and ouch. I may send a card or cookies or something to Other Store Manager as thanks for not just telling me to suck it up and deal for not remembering the rules.

So, today's mission is to get plenty of fluids and protein and such into my stomach, rest, and maybe be somewhat productive. I don't feel up to big things like laundry (despite it being badly needed), but maybe I can at least pick up the place a little bit. Also a prime opportunity to poke at writing things, eh?

I had Thursday and Friday off "naturally," so I'm ending up with a four day weekend. Going back on Saturday is going to be...interesting.

Health Update for Sickgate 2011.

Went to the doctor. He tested me for strep, came back negative. Said it could be bacterial, most likely viral, but he couldn't tell. Gave me a prescription for antibiotics, which I can fill and take if this starts feeling "different" than a "normal" cold for me, or I have a "real" fever.

I've spent the rest of the day on the love seat in the living room, watching TV while Ryan has forced food and drink at me and overall served my every whim. He's a love.

The fever has slowly been going down, and the aches and pain are getting better. Still, the only way I'm going to work tomorrow is if (a) I no longer have a fever, and (b) I can do all the range of motion I need to work without wincing, screaming, fainting, or otherwise being a baby.

Wish me luck?

I Suppose This Was Inevitable...

I. Feel. Like. Crap.

Before bed, my throat and head were hurting. Swallowing ached from the base my throat up through the roof of my mouth, and my right ear. My neck and back were stiff and painful. Tossed and turned all night, alternating really hot and really cold, barely getting any sleep. Woke up at 9, scheduled to go in at 10:30, and took my temperature: 100.1.

It took a good half an hour of calling around, but I finally was able to contact the store manager in charge of our store while our manager is on vacation, and she basically took over, saying she'd find someone to cover. She called back a little later to ask if she should find someone to cover for tomorrow as well. The current plan is to assume I can't work tomorrow, unless I call tomorrow morning and say otherwise. Sounds good to me.

Woke up and "only" felt like I had a headache, my throat was a little sore, and I was all clammy from the tossing and turning all night. Now that I've stood up, though, and moved around...ugh. Every part of my body feels so heavy, and just sitting here and typing is wearing me out.

Ryan is making me something to eat so I can take some aspirin, then we're going to brave the new snow that's been falling all morning and going to the very same clinic I took him to last Thursday, that we took Sameh to on Sunday. I'm hoping they give me medicine that makes me better right quick.

I'll try to update again later tonight, hopefully with "Man, the stuff they gave me was amazing, I feel better already!" Until then, healthy thoughts sent my way would be very much appreciated...

Blah blah blah health blah blah blah dad blah blah blah woo?

Whups, forgot to update last night. My bad!

Work was work. Six hours. Exhausted. Blah.

Came home, changed, Ryan and I took Sameh to the clinic since her right eye, and the face around it, had swollen to the point where she could no longer see out that eye. Long story short, she's allergic to sulfur, which was in the eye drops the doctor gave her for the pink eye on her first visit on Thursday. YAY. The steroid shot they gave her had her looking almost normal by bedtime, and they gave her antibiotics for the inner ear infection she also has, so she should be up and running in no time. :)

Awesome stuff from yesterday: My dad's old group, Himalayan Voices, was on WAMC (Northeast Public Radio) last night! The program even ended with one of Dad's flute solos. It was SO COOL to hear him on the radio!...even if the announcer did talk over a lot of the flute >.< STILL. It also got Sameh very interested in his music, and singing bowls in general. Yay converts!

I have to run off and get ready for work now, but I'll leave you with this:

I'm back, baby!

Long Hard Day. Yeah.

I worked for a whopping two and a half hours today.

I was scheduled for 1:30. Unfortunately, I'm a dip, and didn't think I needed more than 10 minutes to warm up and clean off my car after two days of nonstop lake effect snow. Needless to say, I was late.

Then, because of this same nonstop snow, we closed at 3:30.

I clocked in around a quarter to two, clocked out around a quarter after four.

And drove home under clear, cloudless, empty skies.

Of course, it's going to start snowing gangbusters again tonight--if it hasn't started already--so I feel a little less guilty about that last part.

Ryan is almost entirely better (yay antibiotics). Sameh, on the other hand, is getting worse. Both eyes now have pink eye, and the right one is swelling, she thinks because of a reaction to the eye drops she put in when the pink eye first appeared. Poor thing...at least her cough seems better!

And now to sleep. Wonder if I'll be able to find my car in the morning...