Except what they don't warn you about is the very real possibility that you won't only get sick real bad one time, but you could potentially get sick and continue to get sick because your immune system isn't working at 100%. Yeah. That totally happens.
I had made it to January without getting sick once. I thought I might have even been in the clear; I had gotten lice twice after all. Maybe that was my trial for the year? No reason to assume it had to be an illness I'd catch as a sub, right? Yeah? Haha, no.
January 6th comes along - the very last day of Winter Break (You know, because we can't call it Christmas break anymore because that's just wrong). Oh... wait no. That's right it was actually New Year's Eve that I first noticed an unsettling sore throat that I chalked up to too much smoke inhaled at the bars during the night. Slowly that week the pain continued to gradually worsen until I was supposed to start working again.
Then I was hit with the worse cold ever. I couldn't do anything but lie there and hope the pain would eventually stop. No amount of mucinex, benadryl, or ibuprofen could save me from my symptoms. By day 10 I gave up and went to the doctor who told me it was just a cold and he couldn't do anything. Two days later I lost ability to hear in my left ear and knew an ear infection had settled in. Which also turned into a sinus infection and tonsillitis. For which I was able to convince my doctor to give me antibiotics. I got mostly better and went back to work before being 100%.
A couple days went by and I got slammed with another cold. Only this time the mucinex, benadryl, and ibuprofen fixed me right up... except for my cough which continued to last for 3 weeks. So bad that I began to dry heave and choke because of my coughing. This is where the second z-pack happened.
That brings us to Wednesday where I felt a fresh, new cold coming on. I made an appointment for the doctor on Thursday. "Sorry, it's just a cold we can't do anything for you. Antibiotics don't work on viruses, just bacteria. Sorry". Friday comes and a slight pain in my left ear happens. I convince myself it's all in my head, and it can't be that serious, and besides my doctor isn't there on Fridays.
Saturday comes I lost hearing in my left ear, and a slight pain has made residency in my throat again. For the fourth time since January. I go to urgent care and tell the nurse and doctor on call that I've already had two z-packs in the last six weeks and was told I shouldn't get another one. The nurse assures me I'll be given something else, stronger she says. The doctor comes in and confirms what I already told them - I have an ear infection in my left ear and the beginning of bronchitis. I get two prescriptions but am not told what they are.
I get to my pharmacy only to see that I have been prescribed a third z-pack in six weeks. I inform my pharmacist of this, and he informs me that it shouldn't be a big deal if the last z-pack was for a different bacterial infection. It was. He tells me to eat yogurt to get some good bacteria back into my system. So, I do.
Sunday comes. I am taking my medicine like a good little robot. Wake up super early because all I feel is worse pain everywhere in my head. I down a bunch of ibuprofen and knock myself back out until 1pm. Then I discover I have excruciating pain in my right ear and have lost hearing there as well. Well, not lost hearing. You know when you're under water and you can hear things vaguely, but it's all cloudy and far away? That was how my hearing worked. The pain in my throat and left ear has doubled. Urgent Care again to see a new doctor.
I built up a tolerance to z-packs because they always prescribe me those. I ended up with an ear infection in both ears, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and the original cold. Two days and my entire immune system just shuts down. Now I'm on two antibiotics and am downing yogurt everyday. My left ear still hasn't acquired its original hearing capacity.
I'm told getting sick a lot is normal your first year of teaching/subbing. I understand that, but seriously I am so tired of being sick. I don't even remember what it is like to not be sick anymore. It's been that long since I've been healthy. What's frustrating is the amount of effort I put into being well that just doesn't work (not to mention all the money it costs being this sick! I'm pretty sure between being sick this much and the bouts of lice I'm spent $1,000 easy this year on my health).
I take a slew of vitamins daily, I drink airborne, I wash my hands every chance I get, I sanitize my hands every ten minutes, I eat oranges, I bundle up when going outside, etc. All of that to no avail. Probably what I need is some time off to heal, but we all know I'm too stubborn for that. If I can be working chances are I am. I am not one to call in sick unless I'm seriously dying, or if a family member is dying.
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