Yep.. it's that time of year when practically everyone whips out their tissues and sniff, sneeze and cough away. The time when bosses start tearing their hair out when staff attendance is low ("Boss.. saya MC. Demam."). The time when you complain in a pitiful voice that your head feels like it's in the clouds, your throat tastes of cotton, your joints ache and your nose runs like a faucet and the other person says knowingly, "Yeah.. tengah musim ni. My sibling/friend/parent/colleague also has it."
I finally succumbed to the flu today after son#2 and my dad were struck down by it during the past week. First came the sniffles yesterday. I manfully popped a couple of P*nadols, clamped a tissue to my nose and went to work. By the end of the day my nose was permanently red and threatening to peel due to the constant dabbing with a tissue. When I woke up this morning, my head was heavy but I didn't have a fever (tested myself with kids' Safety 1st thermometer - only 36.9 degrees). I dallied in getting ready until my mom told me to go to work because "dah banyak sangat cuti dah!". Errr.. well I do get 30 days annual leave and I've only been on MC 5 days this year! Went to the office, had breakfast, swallowed 2 P*nadols and started work. Sneeze sneeze cough cough dribble. Repeat every 5 minutes. The sub-zero temperatures brought on by the air-conditioning did not help at all.
Finally, by 11am I'd had enough. I was practically comatose at my desk. I finished up my report, emailed it to my UH and got permission from my manager to go home. Yeehaa! Got my MC from the panel doctor with about 5 different types of medicine. After a quick lunch with BFF and friends, I headed home for the safe haven of my bed. #2 was taking a nap when I arrived, thank God, so I managed to escape to my bedroom undetected. #1 was awake upstairs and wanted to play. I said in my most pitiful voice, "Mom's sick. Mom nak tido." He looked at me suspiciously and said, "Sick? Ubat?" I immediately showed him my little bag of drugs. Satisfied, he nodded and granted me permission into my room.
I contemplated taking my medicine before I decided to take them. I had flu pills, fever pills, the vile cough syrup and lozenges. Now, I have a natural aversion to pills since I discovered I had an allergy to certain types of pain-killers. A few years back I suffered from particularly bad cramps and was prescribed Voltaren. Little the 80's cartoon. After one dose my eyes puffed up and I had to take another day off to wait for them to subside. After I had #1, my doctor gave me Synflex. This time, my entire face puffed up and I looked like I'd been crying for a week. Ever since, the strongest painkiller I've taken is Ponstan. Anyway, I swallowed the evil little bitter-nak-mampus flu pills and cough syrup and crashed into bed. Within minutes, I was out. During my coma-like sleep I was vaguely aware of hubs coming home and working on the lap-top beside me, my mom coming in looking for pyjamas for the kids and #1 coming in a few times to whisper excitedly that "Mom's sick!", "Mom sleeping!" and "Wook! Mom's ubat!". Whether he was talking to himself or someone else, I'll never know.
I woke up 4 hours later feeling like I'd swallowed my pillow during my sleep. I hate drug-induced sleep. You wake up feeling like crap. I dragged myself out of bed and forced myself to take a shower since I vaguely remembered sweating profusely at some point in the afternoon. After a nice nasi ayam dinner which I could hardly taste, I felt somewhat human again. #1 has taken to giving me impromptu hugs and pecks on the cheek, his way of comforting his poor sick old mom, which is nice.
I will be a good girl and take my meds again before bed tonight. I have to go to work tomorrow since it's the company's Hari Raya open house and I've promised the kakaks at the office that I'd drive them to PWTC where it's being held. Let's hope my tastebuds have revived by then kalau tak rugi je all the yummy food!
I finally succumbed to the flu today after son#2 and my dad were struck down by it during the past week. First came the sniffles yesterday. I manfully popped a couple of P*nadols, clamped a tissue to my nose and went to work. By the end of the day my nose was permanently red and threatening to peel due to the constant dabbing with a tissue. When I woke up this morning, my head was heavy but I didn't have a fever (tested myself with kids' Safety 1st thermometer - only 36.9 degrees). I dallied in getting ready until my mom told me to go to work because "dah banyak sangat cuti dah!". Errr.. well I do get 30 days annual leave and I've only been on MC 5 days this year! Went to the office, had breakfast, swallowed 2 P*nadols and started work. Sneeze sneeze cough cough dribble. Repeat every 5 minutes. The sub-zero temperatures brought on by the air-conditioning did not help at all.
Finally, by 11am I'd had enough. I was practically comatose at my desk. I finished up my report, emailed it to my UH and got permission from my manager to go home. Yeehaa! Got my MC from the panel doctor with about 5 different types of medicine. After a quick lunch with BFF and friends, I headed home for the safe haven of my bed. #2 was taking a nap when I arrived, thank God, so I managed to escape to my bedroom undetected. #1 was awake upstairs and wanted to play. I said in my most pitiful voice, "Mom's sick. Mom nak tido." He looked at me suspiciously and said, "Sick? Ubat?" I immediately showed him my little bag of drugs. Satisfied, he nodded and granted me permission into my room.
I contemplated taking my medicine before I decided to take them. I had flu pills, fever pills, the vile cough syrup and lozenges. Now, I have a natural aversion to pills since I discovered I had an allergy to certain types of pain-killers. A few years back I suffered from particularly bad cramps and was prescribed Voltaren. Little the 80's cartoon. After one dose my eyes puffed up and I had to take another day off to wait for them to subside. After I had #1, my doctor gave me Synflex. This time, my entire face puffed up and I looked like I'd been crying for a week. Ever since, the strongest painkiller I've taken is Ponstan. Anyway, I swallowed the evil little bitter-nak-mampus flu pills and cough syrup and crashed into bed. Within minutes, I was out. During my coma-like sleep I was vaguely aware of hubs coming home and working on the lap-top beside me, my mom coming in looking for pyjamas for the kids and #1 coming in a few times to whisper excitedly that "Mom's sick!", "Mom sleeping!" and "Wook! Mom's ubat!". Whether he was talking to himself or someone else, I'll never know.
I woke up 4 hours later feeling like I'd swallowed my pillow during my sleep. I hate drug-induced sleep. You wake up feeling like crap. I dragged myself out of bed and forced myself to take a shower since I vaguely remembered sweating profusely at some point in the afternoon. After a nice nasi ayam dinner which I could hardly taste, I felt somewhat human again. #1 has taken to giving me impromptu hugs and pecks on the cheek, his way of comforting his poor sick old mom, which is nice.
I will be a good girl and take my meds again before bed tonight. I have to go to work tomorrow since it's the company's Hari Raya open house and I've promised the kakaks at the office that I'd drive them to PWTC where it's being held. Let's hope my tastebuds have revived by then kalau tak rugi je all the yummy food!
