I went to work yesterday. Bad mistake.
Not that I don't like what I do. I do. I love my work. It makes me feel good to know that my research and my words can have such far-reaching impact. I love to write because it never really feels like work. I love looking back at what I've created - it always looks and sounds so cool. I thoroughly enjoy working with people who are tack-sharp smart and funny, too.
But I still should have stayed home yesterday. I was still sick.
The problem was my own stupidity. After spending Monday and Tuesday at home to work the nasty bug out of my system, cabin fever had set in. I got it into my head when I tucked in on Tuesday that I absolutely had to get back to work. Otherwise, things wouldn't get done and that would be bad.
Right.
So I loaded up the bike in the morning and started the long, slow pedal toward my downtown office. I deliberately kept the speed down to avoid stressing myself. It didn't do any good: my heart was racing by the third block despite the fact that I was doing a grand 15 km/h. Any slower and I would have lost my balance and fallen.
But stubborn, silly person that I am, I kept riding. Had to get to work...
At the morning meeting, a colleague asked me if I was flushed because of the ride or because I was still sick. Uh oh.
Other colleagues kept asking me if I was OK, offering me rides home, tapping my shoulder to make sure I was still on this earthly plane. By mid-morning, I was really lagging. But I had things to do, people to meet, you know, stuff.
I popped some pills (this is notable, because I never take meds. I'm one of those stupid souls who prefers to tough it out) to ease the growing pain and pushed through the backlog of work.
I left at the end of the day and rode home, kicking myself for being such a doof. By the time I got home, I knew the fever was back. The look on my wife's face as she opened the front door said it all: tsk tsk.
So after a sleepless, congested night, I ended up back at home today. Lesson learned: next time, I'll stay home the extra day. No sense trying to be a hero, right?
Your turn: What do you do when you're sick? Do you go into work anyway?
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# 23 of MY THIRTY DAYS OF THANKSGIVING
12 hours ago
28 comments:
Hi Carmi, Michelle sent me. I like you rphotos expecially the tree stump. Glad you have a job you love so much.
Happy Bday Carmi.
I've been sick with the flu and upper respiratory infection.
I did stay home for 2 days and on the third day tried to go to work couldn't endup working from home which was a bad ides. I was not able to take a nap my boss tought I should have the phone glued to my hear talking to her all day about nonsense.
I hope you feel better will keep u in my prayer.
Via myself and michele
Maggie
Depends on whether I have a wedding to do. I have done wedding flowers when I had a fever of 104, 'cause the "show must go on".
I wouldn't go to an office in that condition, though, because it would affect everyone around me.
Michele sent me tonight.
We all went to work sick. All of us. Even when I worked at a cancer support center and the people coming through the door were immunosuppressed, and even though we knew better. We washed our hands raw but that's not the point.
The point is that we all felt stressed out of our minds and we knew the work would be piling up with no chance of reprieve or even sympathy from the boss.
It's the Corporate American Way.
The Corporate American Way as stated by BHD says get your arse in there no matter what. Then, of course, if you make others sick, then you are chastised for that too. I hope you feel better.
Here via Michele M and G
You poor dear..No a good thing to leave the bed too soon. With chronic illness you kind of get use to being limited as to what you can do...It is very hard, but the alternative is not exactly something I want to experience, if I can help it! (lol)
Do feel better, dear dear Carmi...
I hope yo uare feeling better today. I haven't been "sick" *knock on wood* for over 6 years now. I do have allergies which if I don't take meds for would knock me out but truly ill with a virus...no. *knocking again on wood*.
It certainly helps when the kiddos are grown and gone too and germs aren't being brought around as regularly.
My mom, however, pounded into my head (she was self-employed) that you always go to work unless you had to go to the hospital. So I've gone in way too many times when I was sick. I would, however, always stay home with my child if she was sick.
Get better!
my body seems to know that it needs to hit me hard in order for me to stay home - so when i get sick it gives the one two punch to set me straight
My husband could have written this. He just got sick and went to work after staying home one day when he probably shouldn't have. Sometimes it does help to just over-ride it (but not on a bike) and sometimes it doesn't. So did you take today off?
Fortunately I can't rememeber the last time I was sick enough to miss work. That said I'll come down with something next weeek!
Here from Michele's.
Happy Friday, and I hope you feel better. Michele sent me.
Here from Michele's this afternoon and feeling fine so far!
Carmi, Carmi, Carmi...you should know better. I won't scold you since you're scolding yourself. Of course most of us would have driven to work, especially after being sick. STAY HOME and improve!
Here via Michele's. Get better!
Hey Carmi, here from Michele's today. Unless I can't drive myself in, I will usually come to work for at least a few hours just to take care of any rush stuff. I know I shouldn't but sometime makes me PLUS my boss just calls all day long anyway so I may as well come in. :)
Hi Carmi...Michelle sent me, too.
I'm also one of those who prefers not to take meds unless I absolutely have to. Hang in there!
~Kurt
so sorry you are sick..
Over from the other Michele's
I thankfully rarely get sick but when I do I prefer to stay home and be comfortable. Warm baths, warm blankets, whatever entertainment I can tolerate. I also would rather stay home that extra day and just rest than get back too soon and drag the illness on. Hope you've learned your lesson young man!!! ;) And I hope you are well soon.
Michele sent me, Carmi.
When I'm sick I'll not go into work when it's possible--unfortunately most of the time I have to go in. Growing cells means that if you don't feed them, they die. But I'll typically leave very early if I'm sick.
I hope you feel better soon Carmi and don't have any more relapses. I've not been feeling well either and mowing the yard takes a lot longer when I'm sick so I can understand your slower pace on your bike.
My question is: Why do so many people think they must, must, must go to work no matter what??? LOL
So sorry to hear you're feeling bad...now, stay home and get well!!!!
Me...I follow what my body tells me...it says "you are too sick to get our of bed", I listen! :)
Hey- You too huh? I was dressed and ready for work yesterday when my husband said "JUST WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING??" Hope you're feeling better..
Oh you poor thing! See, your first mistake was bike riding in. Any sort of physical activity is like torture for me, let alone when I am sick. Lol i am so lazy. Stay off that thing and get yourself better! Here from Michele's today
If I'm sick, I'm home. I don't want to spread the cooties, and I sleep. Ya know I'm really sick if I'm sleeping the day away...not sure why, but it's how I tend to deal with it most of the time.
I'm a stay-at-home mom, so I have to "work" whether I'm sick or not. But I used to work at a small ad agency and my boss was suspicious of anyone who claimed to be sick. Really gave us a hard time about it to the point that we'd take notes in from the doctor to prove it. He had such an idiotic attitude about us calling in sick, so it was easier to just come to work. That's why when one of us got sick, we'd ALL catch it.
Hope you feel better Carmi. My hand, by the way, is faring well on the road to recovery.
I really like your post on Transience several days ago - it provoked me to work on my Mother's Day post to remember my mother. Thanks for the inspiration which gives me new meaning to looking at nostalgia. :)
You're a man Carmi, you never get sick or hurt and if you do, well, heck you'll never admit it as one right? Pick axe in the side of my skull? no problem, I'll worry about it when I get home. 103 degree fever, nothing to worry about I have one degree to spare before I need to think about it. :) Its just a guy thing. On the flip side if one of our loved ones gets so much as a paper cut we are ready to haul them to the hospital.
cheers,
P.
I have to admit that I go to work sick. It's far easier to go to work than to find a supply teacher and arrange the day. Even though I have emergency plans and very organized classrooms, it still takes so much work to prepare for someone else in the classroom.
Also, when I am home, I still have 3 not so little people to take care of. I just can't seem to relax and forget about what has to be done in the house.
Next time listen to your wife, when she tells you to stay home! I know you better then anyone!!
Sadly, yes. I usually do go to work. And then commence serious daydreaming about the comfort of my own bed.
I grew up in a family where you were taught to tough it out. I did for years. Then I realized that co-workers don't want you to go into the office and spread cooties. Amazing concept huh? So I don't go in these days. I'll tough it out still with a migraine, in fact did so the other day but came home mid morning and was worse for the effort because he put me down for 3 days. But bright side Carmi, it gave me a blog post about watching trash TV. Got to find that silver lining huh? Here via Michele this time.
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