The Evils of Winter Term

When I lived in Washington state, I rarely got sick. Working in a lot of truly filthy conditions, around sick and dead animals, gave me an immune system that defied pretty much everything. Since moving back to Michigan one year ago, however, I've been sick twice. Once almost immediately after moving, and once Right Now. Apparently, it's A February Thing.



I've been resisting the many strains of Crud running rampant around campus and at work (even in the Emergency Department,) but finally, a week ago, my body gave in and came down with something Truly Horrific. It feels like a cold turned into bronchitis, which subsequently has turned into pneumonia. I've spent the last week battling an uncontrollable cough, fiery throat and a general sense of malaise. My air exchange is pretty awful. It's miserable. But I also have to keep plugging away at school, which is my top priority, and keep going into work. As a healthcare professional in training, my self-diagnosis is this: Stupidity. Stupidity and Stubbornness.

I know I need to take a few days and let my defenses do their things, but I cannot miss a single day of school. I excuse myself from class when my coughing fits start, so as not to disrupt everyone, but I can't miss an entire lecture - no way! I also am beyond broke, so I can't miss any work, either. Thus, I keep pushing myself too hard and wonder why I'm not getting better. Grr.

Today's temperature, even with the sun marginally out, is one degree Fahrenheit. ONE! That's not a temperature, that's a time! Temperatures shouldn't ever be a single digit! Oy. This is sufficient inducement to keep me ensconced at home today, not even venturing out to do some much-needed laundry.

At least my first round of exams is done, and I won't have another for a couple of weeks. I have today off - I'm spending it in bed, learning every nook and cranny of the human skull, as well as quaternary protein structures in microorganisms. I'm not sure this counts as "taking it easy," but it's as close as I'm going to get anytime soon.

I hope you folks are managing to avoid the winter sickies. If you have thus far, keep taking good care of yourself; we can't help others if we're too sick to do what we need to do.