In Sickness And In Health

I've always prided myself on my strong immune system. I rarely get sick. I caught a 24 hour stomach bug about a year ago, just a couple of weeks after starting my new job in the public school system. Before that, I can't tell you the last time I had gotten sick. Sure I remember times that I didn't feel the greatest, particularly when my allergies were bothering me, but I really don't know the last time I was actually sick where I had to stay home. In college and in grad. school, I never missed class or work because of being sick, and before this last week, I can't remember a time where I actually went to the doctor because I was sick at the time. I went to the doctor several times in Stillwater for various reasons, and I've been to our doctor here a couple times too, but never because I was sick at the time. Well, after this last week, I will tell you that I find myself even more grateful for my strong immune system, because this last week it totally let me down, and took Matt along with it.

I was feeling a little down last weekend, but the sickness hit me hard Sunday night. I was running a low fever, very congested, and very achy. I stayed home from work on Monday and Tuesday, and couldn't make it all day at work on Wednesday. I'm still pretty congested and coughing a lot and can't really smell or taste anything still, but thankfully my fever and all the symptoms accompanying it have been gone since Wednesday. I felt really terrible though and hated missing work, because there were several pressing things going on that I needed to be there for. It was stressful, especially when Matt got home from work last Monday night and told me he was feeling bad too. That Tuesday we both stayed home from work and made a joint doctor's appointment (romantic huh). We had a competition at the doctor's office about who had higher blood pressure and who's fever was higher. It was still no fun though. After we tested negative for the flu and strep throat, he sent us home with orders to rest, drink fluids, and come back if we got worse.

I thought we had almost had it beat, other than the few lingering symptoms of congestion, until Matt starting feeling worse again yesterday, and woke up with a pretty high fever this morning. Hopefully, it's just a sign that he overdid it the last few days and not a sign of it turning into something worse like bronchitis.

Being sick for over a week, and still having some lingering symptoms, I've thought a few times that I've forgotten what it's like to be healthy, and sometimes I feel like I won't ever get over this. In those times, I'm reminded of how thankful I am for my health and my strong immune system, even if it lets me down occasionally. I'm thankful that Matt and I have no major health problems, and we have good jobs with paid sick leave, and that weeks like these are nothing more than small frustrations and reminders to be thankful for our health the other 51 weeks of the year.