Life in the Sick Lane

I should preface this post with one tiny fact - I HATE being sick.

That being said, this week I have:

• coughed hard enough to almost pass out
• gone through a jumbo-size box and a half of Kleenex
• spent 3 hours at the 'walk-in' clinic
• taken approximately 6 different medications
• had two prescriptions filled
• eaten the equivalent of one meal a day
• watched way too much HGTV
• missed two days of work
• not gotten nearly enough sleep
• had a fever and threw up, two things I haven't experienced in a long time
• whined and complained about being sick
• moaned and cried about my aches and pains
• rubbed the top layer of skin off my nose...ouch

It's true, i don't handle being sick well, especially when it takes all my energy just to sit up in bed (although I did manage to make it to work for about 6 hours today, so I guess that's an improvement). Being sick always makes me want my mom. She would turn the couch into a bed, make sure the remotes and books and kleenexs, the "special" trashcan and a regular trashcan were nearby, make soup and give my popsicles and put the right amount of ice in my drinks. She would rip my toast into little bites and rub my head and back until I fell asleep. Maybe that's why I didn't mind getting sick so much as a kid.

Living alone or with roommates for several years, I learned to hide the soft Kleenex's from them if you wanted them when you needed them, that soup doesn't make itself, and shared fridges mean there is always a shortage of pink popsicles. And, honestly, being married I didn't expect a lot to change. But, God is good to me, and he gave me a husband who tries so hard - who stops and gets more kleenex when I run out, who rubs my feet to put me to sleep, who wants me to stay in bed even though I know my coughing is keeping him awake, who indulges 9:00pm mashed potato cravings and surprises me with a light breakfast in bed when I think I'm doing better. He goes to the pharmacy for me, and sits quietly so I can fall asleep.

This week i've felt worse than I've felt in a long time, and I hope that the end is coming, but am not too optimistic right now. I've also felt the love of my husband and the care of my friends...and the strong hand of God telling me that it'll all work out fine and everything will still get done, even if I don't sit at my desk for a full 50 hours this week.