I'm taking a break from working at home, editing a manuscript on my kitchen table. I love these work-at-home days, one of the perks of being an editor. Of course, it's just as well because...
This morning I went to the doctor and apparently I have a slight case of bronchitis, and inflamation of the lymph nodes and other nodes, etc. It's kinda surprising, because all things considered, I don't feel that sick. And, in fact, I ran 10 miles on Sunday and 3.5 miles last night. I did feel like I was coming down with something at the end of last week, but I guess I convinced myself that it was allergies. I am a strong believer in the power of your mind to heal your body. I tend to ignore sicknesses or "fend them off" (I heart Airborne!) and in general I don't get sick very often. And when I do, I try to power through it and try not to complain about it. I used to scoff at my whiney friends who would wallow in their sicknesses.
I also don't usually go to the doctor when I'm sick, but last night I discovered a lump on my neck that was weird (like little marbles under my skin), and Sachin said over and over, Go to the doctor. Go to the doctor. Get it checked out. Go to the doctor. I guess that's one thing good (one of many!) about significant others: they make you do things you should do that you don't really want to do. I've had this kind of thing before, although usually on my throat, not the side of my neck, so although I wasn't too worried, I also knew it was probably the type of thing that would require antibiotics, and I was right.
This made me think back to my CA trip. My mother, as usual, brought me to see a Taiwanese doctor who tested my energy levels and took a blood sample and looked at it under a microscope. Apparently, my health had deteriorated since my last visit, and my blood was unhealthy--all clumped together with microscopic bugs in it. He said my immune system was down and that even though I felt healthy, that he tends to see health issues before they manifest themselves as symptoms. He prescribed some herbal medicine for me, which I have reluctantly been taking. I couldn't help but wonder if he had predicted this sickness, or if the mere suggestion that I wasn't healthy was enough for my brain to allow myself to get sick. And I wondered if stretching myself by running was what aggravated the sickness. And I wondered if the flooding on Thursday night was what caused it--if the water had jarred loose mold and dust from the building that caused my symptoms, first allergies, then cold, then bronchitis. And I wondered if living in the city, in general, was taking a toll on my health.
Who knows. At any rate, I'm supposed to take it easy (lucky for me to have already scheduled a work-at-home day today so I don't really have to leave my apartment), and no running for 5 days or so, which is okay since I should be fine in time for the half marathon on the 27th. She prescribed me an inhaler for when I do run again--cool! I've never used one of those before. I wonder if they're illegal to use for the marathon.
And now back to work again...although I may need to squeeze a nap into my day, too. I haven't slept well, and last night I was so congested that I would let out little moans involuntarily that would wake me up. Weird. My doctor suggested taking Claritin before bed to help me sleep. I'll see how tonight goes.
Stay healthy, people!
3 comments:
Alvina
I'd like to know more about the BLoomabilties concept, as I am a Bloom, too. SMILE
http://bloomsinthenews.blogspot.com
and I have a new book, an old book, actually, getting reprinted this fall:
http://bubbieandzadie.blogspot.com
can i send it to you for review later in the fall?
Danny
Claritin does nothing for me--not wired, not sleepy. No effect whatsoever. Though it'd be nice if it did, given my severe allergies here in Seattle.
I sympathize with the working at home on days when you don't feel so well. I can sit back on my couch with my feet up and edit on days that I can't bear to sit in my desk or walk around from place to place in the office. With yet another sinus infection raging in my head (I get about 2 a month in this climate), that sounds really good right now. :)
(By the way, I'm a former Bostonian too, though I moved there after L,B had just moved to NYC. I got my master's at Simmons--was taught in my fantasy class by a former L,B editor, Jackie Horne.)
I feel much better this morning--yay! I love it when that finally happens. Guess I'll go into work.
Thanks for the sympathy, everyone. And good to see another children's book editor here, Stacy! I didn't know Jackie Horne personally, but saw her name everywhere at L,B.
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