head cold

This is day nine of a grinding summer cold. Normally I don’t, or am not able to, keep track of such things, but I happen to remember this one because I woke up with it on the day of my Primary Care appointment. She, Trecia, said that viruses have to run their course, which I knew, but I felt bad for her having to explain that a dozen times a day.

We live in a society where you’re not allowed to stay home, and you’re not allowed to go out sick either. People are pissed at you either way, so lots of us turn to doctors and urgent care for the answer. Because the choice is, stay home a few days until you’re not contagious, or go to work and school sick. Everybody faces this sooner or later, including you, so cut people some slack.

Yes, some people are slackers and malingerers, but there’s no way of telling for sure who, so this is something we have to live with. Yanno, like colds.

This is actually my second cold this year, the first having happened right after Horton’s arrival. It seems odd, because I normally only catch one cold a year, or none. This cold, Zor, the live-at-home spawn, dragged home in the second week of her new job. It involves a carousel of symptoms that began with a headache and an exceptionally sore throat that made my ears itch, and has added the usual symptoms–sinus pain, drainage, sneezing, coughing, fever. All intermittent, except the sinus pain. I finally took a forbidden decongestant, and am afraid to check my blood pressure.

I have also had ear pain, mostly in the morning. I suspect Horton’s high pressure blows mucous back into my head and into my ears.

This cold has made me completely self-absorbed. I find myself literally pretending to care about other people. I suppose that might mean I care enough to pretend, but more likely I just care enough about me to not want to napalm my relationships.

School started this week. I feel very sorry for myself trying to do JavaScript while strangling on phlegm. Thank goodness it is an online class, because every time I cough or sneeze I pee a little. Even though I have set a timer to visit the facilities every half hour, I still find it necessary to cover my desk chair with a hefty bag, and leaving the house is a roll of some very weighted dice. Not that I feel like going anywhere, but as I mentioned earlier, no one is allowed to stay home when they’re sick. I still have to taxi Zor, and run errands, and etc.

So until I can breathe again, I hope everyone has a good idea.

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