yogurt, applesauce, rice, & chicken noodle soup

That, friends, is my current diet.

There is nothing worse, in my opinion, amongst “common” illnesses than a stomach virus. That is what I have been battling this week, armed with nothing but my wits, some saltines and 7-UP (thanks to someone very thoughtful), and some over-the-counter medication (thanks to someone else very thoughtful).

Before the stomach virus, I had a bad cold complete with lots of chest congestion. For a few days, I felt like there were bricks strapped to my lungs.

Sickness, even of the non-serious variety, makes me feel weak. It makes me realize that I am weak – that the times I feel strong are illusory, and fleeting illusions at best.

I guess that’s because my mind and spirit – eternal things – are trapped in a body that is transitory. It’s hard for us humans, especially young ones, to believe that we won’t live forever. Oh, I say my life is a vapor. But my plans? They’re not urgent. I assume that I’ll live for a generous amount of time.

The truth is I don’t know. There is no reason to think I’ll die a young, undiscovered writer (how romantic). But I don’t know what tomorrow holds, for me or anyone else. I can only live today. I can hope and plan, and dream and pursue . . . but I can only live today. I can only enjoy now.

One day, perhaps, I will eat pizza again. I can hope. Today, however, I will enjoy my yogurt, applesauce, rice, and chicken noodle soup.

here I sit, not at work

Once again, I’m sick.

I’m trying valiantly to have a good attitude about this. There surely is a purpose in it, but I confess I see nothing but frustration and unpleasantness and inconvenience at the moment. I’d been over my other long-lasting malady for only a week or two, when on Sunday I came down with what I thought was a “little trifling cold.” Yesterday I felt worse, but still made it to work. This morning I woke up an hour or two before my alarm and realized I shouldn’t try to teach today. My heart was hammering, I was on the verge of feeling feverish, and once again I have a sinus infection not to be described. (So, I won’t try.) What is up with this? The third time I’ve been sick this fall.

So, I finally gave in and made a dr. appointment for this afternoon. Maybe I want drugs, or maybe I just want him to tell me I don’t have some horrid disease. Either way, I hope to find some relief and start on the road to recovery.

For now, I’m stuck at home, and wondering how to make the next few hours productive. I’ve been feeling the urge to write, but the necessity of teaching and the pleasantness of cultivating friendships have eased that intention onto the back burner. Maybe I should pull it out to the front again. I guess blogging is a good beginning.

The weather is beautiful. It’s a shame I am not well enough to walk in it. However, I can still enjoy it from my six bedroom windows. (Yes, six. I am living in the light, and it’s lovely.)

So, attitude is important. Perhaps that is what I am to learn through this constantly-being-sick experience. Being sick and immobile can easily plunge me into frustration and depression, but when I stop and look at my life, I have much to cherish and enjoy. In fact, I love my life right now! I won’t let a silly virus get in the way of that realization. This, too, shall pass, and meanwhile I can use the time to reflect and write…and leave all my stresses and uncertainties in God’s capable hands.

sick again

Here I am. Sick again.

It seems only a few weeks ago that I was sick. Oh, yes. It was only a few weeks ago. Alas, yesterday I came down quite suddenly with something nasty. I felt fine all day at work, and then as soon as I arrived home and found a traffic ticket awaiting me in the mail (thanks to the new-fangled traffic cameras; I just love them), my throat began to swell. By evening I had a low fever and was shivering like it was January in the Black Forest.

So I called in sick to work and spent today leisurely at home. I wrote some e-mails, read, drank many cups of orange spice tea, worked on a few writing projects, and took intermittent naps to drive away the virus. Right now I’m feeling much better. It is amazing how a fever, even a small one, can exhaust me. I mean, I’ve been inactive for the past 24 hours, never changing out of pajamas, and yet I feel like I’ve run a few miles. Perhaps fighting a virus burns calories? I can hope.

On an unrelated note, I miss pumpkin soup. It is perfect food on a sick day – or any day. I need to make some soon.

On a second unrelated note, I googled my name (what people do when they’re sick in bed with a laptop, right?) and found this article. Blast from the past. I love how the other students sound like party animals, and I sound like a straight-laced, nerdy English major. This makes me laugh because it was (is?) so true.

attack of the evil virus

The past few days have been a blur of incessant napping, interrupted only to take two caplets of tylenol every six hours. There’s a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad flu bug circulating here at BFA, and I’ve been down with it since Monday night. Today there were over 60 students home from school, 5 from our dorm alone.

I won’t whine about my symptoms (my mom has heard enough of that via the telephone – I love you, Mom!), but suffice to say, this is a bad bug and I hope to recover from its miseries one day soon. Meanwhile I will retreat once more into my room of quarantine, lest I spread my germs. (I suggest washing your hands thoroughly after you’re done reading this post, just in case.)