Jeweled Web

Friday I went to a Mary Kay party for a friend, and started coughing a little. It hurt my throat and I thought it was the sudden temperature changes in the weather, hot, cold, hot, cold.

I had to work Saturday morning at the hospital. I still had the cough but wasn't having any other symptoms. After lunch, I started to feel really, really bad. I went to the nurse and had her take my temperature. Mine usually runs a wee bit lower than average. But the machine kept piling up the numbers 98.7, 98.9, 99.1, 99.5, and finally, 99.8.

Ouch. So, I'm not supposed to work with patients while running a temperature. I had the junior volunteer hand them the equipment while I supervisied from the far side of the room. All transfers were handled by the PTA. I called my supervisor over at the hospital and she had some Tylenol in her purse she let me have and then headed over to take over my remaining patients. Bless her, luckily there weren't many. I documented and left early. Before leaving I had my temperature retaken, 98.6. I guess I could have stayed, but why take the chance of infecting patients, some of whom really, REALLY, don't need to fight off anything else?

I'm home today, medicating and resting and drinking fluids. I really don't feel good at all. It could be a lot worse and I know that. But men aren't the only ones who turn whiney when they get sick. I'm waiting to see how I feel later tonight and in the morning before deciding whether or not to go into work. I'd hate to call in sick, really - I don't LIKE being sick and thankfully rarely am, but it may be necessary. Poor Carla. If I'm out that makes a bad day for her. It's just me and her in the OT department. We'll see.

Lola's down today, folks. Sorry 'bout that.

I've been miserable ever since.