So when I got sick last month, I was thrown off guard. I take vitamins! I work out! I eat fairly healthy! I drink water! I get 8 hours of sleep! I even went to a cooking class where instructor said that you won't get sick if you say you're not sick. So I said that mantra to myself at the fist sign of illness.
And yet, I was in and out of consciousness for 24 hours, followed by a cough so deep in my chest that no amount of coughing could actually clear it up. You know you feel terrible when you don't even feel bad about not leaving your bed for days and sleeping intermittently. (I'm someone who doesn't like to nap, so you know it's serious).
While it's clear that I survived, I was keenly aware of how different it was to be sick as a 30-year old versus a kid. So let me count the ways and hopefully you all can relate, and maybe even add some melodramatic rants in the comments :)
8 Reasons Why Being a Sick Adult Isn't as Fun
1. There is no maid (parent) to be at your beckon call
It's true. You can't call for mom or dad, or have someone check in on you to bring you water with electrolytes to keep you hydrated or food to keep you well nourished. There is no one to fill your bath so you don't have to get out of bed or run to the store if you desperately need something. Even when you're married, your spouse is most likely working, so you have to do it all. 2. You still feel obligated to work
I left work early on a Monday and thought I could sleep off my sickness, but by Tuesday morning, I knew I was down for the count. Still, every piece of me felt internal guilt for letting my co-workers down. Who would run reports? Finish the newsletter? Pitch content to our partners? I think of the stress I cause and I don't want my sickness to bring down the team. I worked a half day from home on Wednesday because I couldn't imagine leaving my post for two whole days.
3. Your day doesn't stop
What I mean by this is, even if you are ill, there may still be errands that NEED to happen (depositing something in the bank or bringing a pet to the vet). When you're a kid, the most you have to do is homework and possibly afternoon practice for a sport or a play that you're in. And those things can be skipped. But paying your bills? Nope. The show must go on, and what a cruddy show it is.
4. Your pets still need attention
I'm not a pet owner, but I know this universal truth: pets are needy (also I think children fall into this category, sans the fur). They want love and attention all the minutes of every day. Except cats. Cats are bipolar fuzzballs. But even if you are hacking up a lung and your fever is making you delusional, those balls of fur still want to be fed and let outside. Rude.
5. You feel gross
I used to love staying in my jammies all day. There was something freeing about it. Like you don't have to do anything because you never truly got out of bed. Now? You know that you've been in these jammies for way too many hours and undergarments need to be changed — but that would require leaving the bed and finding equally comfortable clothing.
6. Your doctor makes you feel like a baby
There is a friend of mine who works in the health field, and they constantly tell me how people come in fearing the worst (ex. "I'm dying!") and really they have a cold. So the doctors and nurses run through the things that make the patients feel like they are listening, but they know, deep down, that you have a cold and you have to let it pass. Most of the time, there is nothing they can do for you. You just have to deal.
But when you're a kid? It always felt like they found a way to make you feel better. Different kinds of medicines, suggestions to make you feel more comfortable... they made you feel like they were there to fix all your problems.
7. TV is no good
When I was sick a kid, I felt like all my favorite cartoons were on. I could go for hours watching everything I love and not hit repeat shows. Now? News. Talk shows. Soap Operas. No thank you. Who puts this stuff on during the day and who WATCHES it?! Luckily we are in a time of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime...
8. You're lonely
Where are all my humans at? I can't find anyone in the halls of my apartment building, nobody walking past my window, no one delivering my packages. As a kid I felt like everyone was checking in on me, or at least my sibling would come check up on me and watch TV in bed with me when she got home from school.
But, I will say that I am blessed with a loving husband who makes everything better. He runs my baths, makes me food, gives me medicine, and cuddles me when I need. So really all my complaints of being sick are between the hours of 8am to 4pm. It could be worse.
So for all those where the struggle is real, I hope you are well soon and can find some humor in this. God speed.
Always,
A
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