The Impact of Sickness

Late last week, I got hit with a nasty head cold that came on hard and fast. This was one of the first times that I had really felt crummy in quite a while. I'll be the first to admit that I am not a good patient. I want things to be fixed right away and don't manage the recovery process well at all. Despite not feeling well, there were still things that simply had to happen. I had to push through. Now that I'm feeling better (thank Heavens!), I can look back and see the impact that illness had on me in several areas.

• Cranky and irritable. Some would argue that this is really not an unusual stance for me, but when I'm sick, things just don't go well in my world. Leave me alone. Don't cross my path. And Heaven forbid that you ask me to do more than the bare minimum.
• Negative. This is one of my biggest frustrations when I'm sick. I think the world is falling and things will never get better. My entire outlook on life is colored by how I feel. In most cases, when my body is fighting, my emotions and mind are also sick. It's not a good combination and the sooner I come to that realization, the quicker I begin to recover.
• No rhythm. When my head is clogged, rhythm is one of the first things to go. Rhythmic issues can always be problematic for me -- I'll be the first to admit that -- so it's no surprise that the aspect of music that I have to monitor most carefully is the first to leave when I'm less than my best.
• Cravings abound. I could simply not get enough food last week. I found myself looking for comfort foods -- and especially things that were warm. I tried several combinations to satisfy my craving but didn't find it until I stepped into the market and saw a warm loaf of bread. THAT was exactly what I needed in the moment. How did I know I was on the road to recovery? I needed chocolate and water! That's a sure sign that things are returning to normal.
• Nothing beats mindless rest. I rarely enjoy sitting in a stupor and having no mental stimulation. However, that's exactly what I needed last weekend. I spent much of the afternoon sitting on my couch with the television on. I really wasn't watching anything....I just needed the noise so I wouldn't feel completely alone. I didn't read. I didn't think about upcoming projects. I simply let my mind drift to a safe place and rested. It was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Hopefully I'm done with illness for a while. I'm still not back to full strength yet, but I'm feeling better with each passing day....and I'm looking forward to the return of normalcy in my life.