Home ... Sick

The thermometer kept climbing, one point at a time, until I got my number: 101.4. I am officially out of commission and I'm really not sure how long it'll be like this.

I'm been feeling like crap for the past week, but I have also been self-treating with water, sleep, nyquill (helps with the sleep too) and ibuprofen. This arsenal has been my defense for years, all through college and beyond. I was even starting to feel better this weekend.

Then Monday came around. Between an anatomy lab snaffoo - the schedule said 3p lab, but it started at 2p! - the looming online quizzes this week, and the inevitability of an oral quiz during lab, I was beyond stressed out. Everybody kept telling me I looked ragged, I couldn't concentrate, and I again felt absolutely awful. I was convinced I only had a cold, and that my temperature spikes were related to the anxiety, so I pushed on, still self-medicating and doing my best to get my fluids and my sleep. My mom - a wonderful nurse - taught me those two cardinal rules.

Instead of waking up early for class on Tuesday, I slept in and went to study in the library. I drank 5 gatorade bottles of water at least, and peed almost on the hour. I was beating my "cold" - which now had mild lymph node swelling, feeling warm, and mucus running down my throat - and by the end of the day I felt quite well.

Today I felt worse than ever. My "nodes" were huge, and it burned like fire when I swallowed. During anatomy lab, we finally got oral quizzed, and I did okay. But about 2 hours into lab I was fading fast. I felt sicker and sicker, and since Megan told me during lab about people who were getting strep I was convinced that I had it. I left lab early to go to student health.

The people there were pleasant, and although the whole ordeal took hours, I walked out having received a thorough physical exam, lab tests for strep and mono (both negative), penicillin...just in case...and a bill for $10. Good thing I paid an arm and a leg for Student Health's preferred insrance.

So I'm sick. For real sick. I feel like I should study, but can't concentrate due to my ears ringing. I feel like I should sleep, but I'm not sleepy. So, I'm chilling out on the couch which a box of Wheat Thins and water bottle #3, or #4, since I got home 3 hours ago. I'm watching Family Guy DVDs, and almost having a good time being sick.

Anyway, I should wrap this up and...get back to my tv and wheat thins I guess. More postings later.