It's My Turn for the Ick
January and February are prime times for my entire facility to come down with a bug. This year, most of my clients and fellow staff members have had a particularly nasty stomach virus. In addition, Influenza A has been going around. These months are not the best for folks in schools. The cold temperatures keep us all inside in the heating where germs seem to thrive. It's going to be a long winter.
So far, I have avoided the viruses going around. This is my typical pattern. I don't usually get what everyone else has - I get my own brand of ick. This is starting up right now. Two weeks ago, I woke up with a full sinus and lots of sneezing. Everything indicated allergy reaction (my typical January/February reaction), so I started my heavy-duty allergy medication. You know, the one that knocks me out for 24 hours, makes me dizzy, gives me terrible dry mouth, and tries to up my blood pressure? That one. I stayed home for the day so as not to fall asleep during my commutes and so I could get over the initial side effects and get accustomed to the side effects. I've been taking the medication every since.
When I went to sleep last night, my throat was scratchy. When I woke up this morning extremely early, I had a full-blown bronchitis cough, scratchy throat, and had completely torn up my bedding - restless night, I guess. I can feel it starting.
My particular brand of the ick starts with an allergy reaction which leads to bronchitis. It is rarely associated with a bug or virus, it seems to just be me and my reaction to winter in this state. The ick starts off with little to no symptoms, just a tickle in my throat and a specific type of cough. The doctor won't do anything for me right now except look at me and say "It's a virus." It's not a virus, it's bacterial, but it doesn't look like it yet. So, I'll wait until I can prove it's bacterial, then go to the doctor. In the meantime, I'll be drinking peppermint tea and lots of water, monitoring my temperature, using both my allergy medications and my inhaler, and waiting for the turn. Then off to the doctor!
I am a strong believer in using sick days when they are necessary. It is much better to stay home when you are contagious or sick than to spread your germs to everyone else. I work with some students who have compromised immune systems, so it is important to keep contagion away.
I am not contagious, so I am going to work.
I have certain session plans that I keep in reserve for times like these. Times when I'm not feeling great but still need to be at work. I have a couple of TMEs that I have to do this week - theme-stuff - but the rest can be less therapist-intensive than some of my other session plans. We'll probably get out all the big drums and throw balls at them. It's a good stress-release TME. My students usually take the basic idea and then morph it into more. We often end up exploring basic ideas of geometry, physics, and team-building. It starts as a stress-release and ends up so much more. Meanwhile, I will spend some time sitting back, trying to stave off the transition from small ick to pneumonia.
I hope you avoid the ick this year.
So far, I have avoided the viruses going around. This is my typical pattern. I don't usually get what everyone else has - I get my own brand of ick. This is starting up right now. Two weeks ago, I woke up with a full sinus and lots of sneezing. Everything indicated allergy reaction (my typical January/February reaction), so I started my heavy-duty allergy medication. You know, the one that knocks me out for 24 hours, makes me dizzy, gives me terrible dry mouth, and tries to up my blood pressure? That one. I stayed home for the day so as not to fall asleep during my commutes and so I could get over the initial side effects and get accustomed to the side effects. I've been taking the medication every since.
When I went to sleep last night, my throat was scratchy. When I woke up this morning extremely early, I had a full-blown bronchitis cough, scratchy throat, and had completely torn up my bedding - restless night, I guess. I can feel it starting.
My particular brand of the ick starts with an allergy reaction which leads to bronchitis. It is rarely associated with a bug or virus, it seems to just be me and my reaction to winter in this state. The ick starts off with little to no symptoms, just a tickle in my throat and a specific type of cough. The doctor won't do anything for me right now except look at me and say "It's a virus." It's not a virus, it's bacterial, but it doesn't look like it yet. So, I'll wait until I can prove it's bacterial, then go to the doctor. In the meantime, I'll be drinking peppermint tea and lots of water, monitoring my temperature, using both my allergy medications and my inhaler, and waiting for the turn. Then off to the doctor!
I am a strong believer in using sick days when they are necessary. It is much better to stay home when you are contagious or sick than to spread your germs to everyone else. I work with some students who have compromised immune systems, so it is important to keep contagion away.
I am not contagious, so I am going to work.
I have certain session plans that I keep in reserve for times like these. Times when I'm not feeling great but still need to be at work. I have a couple of TMEs that I have to do this week - theme-stuff - but the rest can be less therapist-intensive than some of my other session plans. We'll probably get out all the big drums and throw balls at them. It's a good stress-release TME. My students usually take the basic idea and then morph it into more. We often end up exploring basic ideas of geometry, physics, and team-building. It starts as a stress-release and ends up so much more. Meanwhile, I will spend some time sitting back, trying to stave off the transition from small ick to pneumonia.
I hope you avoid the ick this year.
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