No one willl ever say that about me.
Nothing kicks up anxiety for me and for some of my children like illness. Maybe that's because we've been blessed/cursed with some of the most unusual maladies out there: pheochromocytoma, Steven Johnson Syndrome, refractory diseases.
For those of us who complain (I'm raising my hand over here), the complaining is not whining. The complaining serves as a reality check as to what is and is not typical and whether or not someone should act, whether the guard should go up or down.
Too much of the time, getting sick for us is not a simple thing. Too much of the time, going to the doctor is fraught with stress because the only reason we are seeking medical help is because we either couldn't figure out the issue or the issue is too great for us to fix on our own. Too much of the time, the doctor can't get it right on the first try, either.
Two weekends ago I worked. It was a quiet weekend and accomplished a lot. So I was really looking forward to tackling some fiction this weekend.
But on Friday, both Rebekah and I came down with some sort of viral bug.
So on Saturday, we did the responsible thing: we broke open our first home COVID test. Both test results were negative.
On Sunday, we did the next responsible thing: we went for PCR testing. We got the results back yesterday, actually immediately after I told my supervisor I was sick. Both results were negative.
This morning, we are starting to feel better. And the timing was perfect, really.
Daniel has wanted to carve some time out to watch The Haunting of Hill House. Well, since I didn't feel up to anything else, we blew through it this weekend. We're also halfway through The Haunting of Bly Manor. See what happens when you don't have the energy to work out or clean house?
On Sunday, I was starting to feel better and wound up finishing the last two chapters of Call of the Siren after all. Hurray! I'm on the right side of getting well.
But Sunday night, the virus showed its teeth and kept me up half the night.
On Sunday night, I fretted about a big project at work - which I finished on Monday.
On Sunday night, I fretted about some "life" things coming up that this virus might take out only to wake up at 4 a.m. and realize the virus was barely whimpering.
This morning, I'm feeling more assured that some bugs are simply some bugs, and we do get over most of them. The timing of this one was perfect, really, with COVID cases at an all-time low.
I'm a planner, and it's good to plan. I'd never get much accomplished without planning.
I also like protecting my health. I spent the first two decades of my life not feeling well most of the time. And my efforts at wellness have served me well for most of my adult life.
But when plans go sideways, it opens the door for other opportunities.
When the timing is perfect.
Illustration by Sue Midlock for "Cornell Dyer and the Flu"
No comments:
Post a Comment