Misc: Siiiiick

I thought I would be able to go a fourth year without getting the flu, but alas, no. I started coughing on Friday night, felt a little dowly with it all day Saturday, woke up with a stickerbush in my throat on Sunday morning and by that afternoon I had the temperature. It fluctuated between 99 and 100.4 all day yesterday -- pretty impressive considering that my normal resting temperature is 97 -- with the chills and aches and glands that felt like they were about to explode.

With all that, I was still able to engage in conversation, read anything that wasn't too demanding, and play Mystery Case Files for five hours straight (although I couldn't knit -- not sure why, but no way). During my February 2003 flu, I couldn't focus on a page, couldn't complete a sentence, and couldn't commit to any kind of narrative, which prevented most TV watching too. Fortunately the Westminster Kennel Club dog show coincided with the two days of my highest fever, and I watched the whole thing. It was perfect. I didn't have to retain any information for more than ninety seconds, nothing loud or sudden ever happened, and cute doggies!

Last night I started hacking up the component parts of the stickerbush, and my temperature started to drop. Today, it's still not normal and my throat still kills me, but I no longer have the feeling that I'd cheerfully commit suicide just to stop the pain, if only I had enough energy. I'm sure I'll be feeling that again tomorrow when I go back to work.