This Virus Isn't Fair - A BillsWeek Whine

It's back and I can't believe it. The day after Christmas, I came down with the first cold I've had in years. My immune system has withstood the perils of coughing coworkers, people who don't wash after using the restroom, sneezing children in public places, and most recently, the locker room at the health club where guys are overheard to cough loudly and then say, "I'm past the contagious stage."

But the stress of the holidays (sharing everything with family from togetherness to food to germs), lack of sleep during that busy festive week, and severe below zero temperatures which actually made it hard to breathe, wore my body out and made me susceptible to "the bug that's been going around."

It was never very serious. I had both flu shots (H1N1 and regular) early in December so I wasn't worried about dying. I only had a fever for one day. I didn't miss much work because I was taking time off anyway. I only missed a couple days of working out, which has become something of a compulsion.

The worst was coughing so much at night that I couldn't sleep. The usual drugs didn't work. I also lost my voice and couldn't talk on the phone when I most wanted to.

And now it's back. My energy is zilch and I'm reaching for the cough drops again. Dang it! I am now the person coughing in the office that people look at wanting to say, "Don't bring your disease here."

I drink orange juice. I use hand sanitizer, even keeping a bottle on my desk at work. I wash my hands so much that I have cracked wrinkly skin. And still I cough. It's not fair.

This weekend will be dedicated to cold survival: sleeping, cat cuddling, blankets, resting, watching movies (falling asleep in the middle, necessitating watching them again), and reading if I can focus my eyes.

I will, of course, try to make it to the gym. Coughing is no excuse for slackness. And I'm surely past that contagious stage.