Not Sick Enough — Yet Not Okay

I couldn’t work today, yet I didn’t take a sick leave because the thermometer showed only 37.2C (98.96 °F). A small, unimpressive number that makes you apologize instead of resting.

Still, my body told a different story. Last night I woke up at 1 a.m. with an itchy, painful throat, a stuffed nose, and irritation in my ears. I went to the dark kitchen for tea, hoping the warmth would calm the storm inside my throat. I couldn’t sleep… till 4 a.am! Every swallow hurt, and morning came with the clear truth — the usual me was not available. No today!

Being “almost well” is terrible. High fever gives permission to stop; 37.2 C pushes you into bargaining with yourself: answer a few emails, join one meeting, pretend tea fixed the night. I have done that too many times, and it always ends badly.

I’ve been sick all autumn… and also during the holidays. When will it stop! I had to take antibiotics for one month twice! twice! Just a week in between! Now this!

I feel I’m bad employee – I can’t rest because of guilt and can’t work because I’m tired.

Any good natural suggestions?

Ilze


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19 thoughts on “Not Sick Enough — Yet Not Okay

    1. Thank you! That is what I’m doing… also adding linden tea… peppermint… Somehow I want something “stronger”, I’m tired of that sweet and savoury taste.. I made cocoa…

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  1. If you don’t rest enough it weakens the body. I get the feeling you are full throttle all the time, thrying to get everything done. When I do that I have “half days”. Your body isn’t healing properly between bouts of sickness. You’re in control of what you think, don’t blame yourself for being a bad employee instead look inward to see what changes you need to make for better health. Maybe antibiotics are not all you need since it sounds like the infection keeps coming back. Take good care.

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    1. Thank you! This is what I wanted to hear 🙂 About infection… it was two different things, that ended in antibiotics 😦 I think I’m so weak that all the viruses run towards me…. all of them!

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  2. Tips I don’t have, alas. What I can do is wish that you are feeling better soon! (Oh wait! In the Netherlands when our throat hurts we are taking a ‘dropje’, liquorice, the salty variant of with menthol. I don’t know wether it is sold in Latvia though.)

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  3. I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well, Ilze. Sounds like the same nasty stuff that is going around here. Rest and hydration are my only thoughts. Feel better soon 😊

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  4. Ilze – the more you tense up and fight an obvious winter cold (which usually does not have a high temperature unless it has turned into bronchitis or pneumonia) the worse your health will get and body will feel! Sometimes, however much one does not like it, you just have to relax into ‘how it is’ > bow completely out of ‘normal’ life, have your linden tea (VERY good for you!) and total rest and just lie in bed reading an interesting book and watching silly TV and dreaming of being on a tropical beach 🙂 ! STOP TRYING TO BE A SUPERWOMAN!

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  5. I’m so sorry! I hate having a sore throat. I find that rest, not talking at all, and sucking on throat lozenges helps the most. Also drinking juices, like cranberry juice, and eating popsicles can help with the pain.

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