Not quite there yet…the quest for 10,000 words continues
January 30, 2011 § 6 Comments
Today I spent the entire morning (literally from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) finishing my scans, printing, labeling, and organizing. This leaves me with a clear desk, clear shelves, and a clear mind. Tomorrow will be better because I have 10,000 words to hit, and I actually know now which articles I’ve read and which are still in need of a review.
I spent the better part of my afternoon wandering around Walgreens, waiting on Robert’s prescriptions. He has suddenly and without any warning whatsoever been knocked down with bronchitis. At first, we thought it was a regular little ol’ head cold, but this thing turned nasty quick, forcing him to go to the doctor today (thank God for Urgent Care’s Sunday hours). We were both surprised by the diagnosis…and the cost of the prescriptions. But it’s worth it if it means he’ll be feeling better soon. While I might be an okay nurse (although…my method is to treat the symptoms as best as I can…but with very little sympathy…let my children never be ill because I don’t tolerate illness well…as Robert can attest…poor thing), I am a terrible patient. Robert has essentially been quarantined. Sure, we share the same common area…sort of. I’ll sit in the living room with him (when I haven’t been scanning, which has been only a few minutes in the past few days), but he sleeps in the guest room. I truly appreciate this because, as I explained to one of my friends today, I do not have time to get sick right now. My body and I tend to come to agreements when I’m under the gun for big deadlines or major life experiences. I simply do not allow myself to get sick. (This means that when I do feel sneezy or ticklish in my throat, I push through and ignore it…terrible.) I am an awful patient. The worst kind. I will push Robert through the doctor’s doors, praising the wonders of medicine. But when it comes to my own illness? I ignore the symptoms, swearing they’re not as bad as they sound/look/feel. I pretend doctors don’t exist, that there’s no use in medicating me because I won’t be sick very long.
Yes. I am a health hypocrite.
But, just for the record: I am not going to catch this bug. Just not. At all. Because I’m writing a dissertation. If bronchitis wants to come a-callin’ after August 7th (the day after graduation), then that’s perfectly fine. But before that date, it better leave me alone.
…maybe during my hour-long walking tour of Walgreens I should have considered buying a medical mask…hmmm….
A.Hab.'s View 
Hope Robert feels better soon and hope you stay well! I’m not a good patient either!
Thanks, Kathy! He’s feeling a lot better today–ah, the miracle of modern medication! (Thank goodness for a good Z-pack, haha.) I’m planning on staying well…or pushing through it regardless. Either way, I’ll be writing, dammit, lol.
Poor Germy Robert:( Hope he feels better soon! I’ll be sending healthy vibes your way, and good call on the medical mask. I’d make a second trip to Walgreens for that!
Lol, I seriously considered it. But he’s well on his way to recovery–he’s got all kinds of meds in him now, so I think I’m safe. But maybe a mask wouldn’t be a bad thing to keep around the house, just in case….
So, I’m reading this book by a vegan professional Ironman/Triathlon athlete and I’m in a chapter about stress. Here is what he says:
“Have you ever noticed that when you work to meet a deadline-as the pressure mounts and stress rises-sickness is least likely to strike?Then, once you meet the deadline you get sick. […] The body is capable of rising to the occasion in a stressful environment; indeed, the more stress the better the performance-short term. But when the project is finished and the stress is alleviated, the body lets itself get sick.”
Sound familiar? This guy argues with medical evidence that when stressed, our body’s immune system is stressed. When we are no longer stressed, our immune system can do what it’s been needing to do during the stressful stage, which translates into us getting sick. This is not healthy.
I’m going to copy this chapter for you!!
Ah…yeah…that sounds like something I need to read. And here I was so very proud of my body’s resilience and my supposed mental prowess at staving off illness. I wonder what it means that the very first time I ever got the flu was my last day of comprehensive exams, February 2009? (Oh…and it was obvious in the exam that I was not well. I low-passed [but dammit, I passed], and Dr. S was pretty surprised at my weak writing style and ill-thought-out responses.)
Thanks in advance for getting the chapter copy to me! I look forward to reading what he has to say. Although…I’m still hesitant about letting myself feel sick until well after graduation….