I was really sick this last week. For the first time in a long time, that was the only thing bugging me!
Around the 5th, I started getting a cold… or so I thought. By that Saturday, I was feeling pretty rotten and had started coughing up some sputum along with wheezing. I did have one cough that made me take a step back and say “Hmm, last time I had that kind of cough was when I had bronchitis.”
Maybe should’ve listened to that little voice instead of shaking it off.
On Mondays I’m in my office alone, so I went even though I was feeling pretty rotten. I hacked away all day and tried to eat something spicy for lunch to see if I could drain all the congestion out. Later in the day I called my primary care doc to try to get an appointment, which they couldn’t do until Wednesday morning. The nurse was going to talk with the doc and call me back, but she had to settle for a message in our EMR system and the doc didn’t respond until after the nurse had left. Their concern was that my childhood asthma had popped back up… I have no doubt that my asthma is still around because I do have a terrible mucus problem, which can be a sign of asthma… and it’s actually kind of serious. Good thing I’m working with some docs on asthma training or I’d never have known!
Cue another frustration about growing up sans medical care and in a bad situation.
I get a call back from this nurse Tuesday morning who explains it’s likely that my cold has kicked up my asthma, but that I should head to urgent care to make sure it’s nothing more serious as they didn’t have any appointments available. After an hour of watching my new passion, Golden Girls, I donned my Batman underoos and headed over to urgent care.
I proceeded to wait for about an hour before getting an exam room, where I waited another 20-25 minutes. The doc took a listen to my chest and I was grateful for once that I was wheezing! He said that while there might be asthma at play, I definitely had bronchitis.
Cue the nebulizer!
I had to run around after I got out of UC to pick up my z-pack, coughing pills, and inhaler… and a few goodies since I wasn’t allowed to go to work until Thursday. I got home a little after 1:30, took some pills, and settled in for a self-snuggle.
Wednesday was a great self-care day. I allowed myself to do many things on this great list, from staying clear from my laptop to eliminating shoulds to enjoying guilty pleasures. It’d been forever since I rented something from Redbox, so I watched Big Hero 6 and Rosewater. Both were great movies, and now I really want Baymax.
I hate being what I call ‘normal people’ sick. Upper respiratory infections are even worse, because I can’t really play with my guinea pigs. They can die within 24 hours of getting one… which makes for one paranoid piggie momma.
Last night I finally got to play with them again. They were so excited!! I cleaned their cage while daddy piggie learned how hard it is to watch Gus. He has SO much energy.
It really took me being sidelined with bronchitis to get enough rest. It’s funny because I feel like I don’t do very much on a regular basis, but doing nothing helped show me that I was wrong.
I have a challenge for you!
Not everyone has to get scary sick to experience this type of rest. As a part of your self-care, I want you to pick a day where you can easily do very little. Keep track of all the things that you feel like you should be doing, but keep your to-do list very small. Only do small things you can easily accomplish or are that restful. Partake in hobbies you don’t have time for on a normal basis. Take a nap. Watch a trashy show or kids movies. Enjoy your favorite foods. Set aside a day to practice self-care and self-love – and let me know how you feel at the end of it. It’ll be hard, but I believe in you!