Cranky

The last time I went to the doctor for my recurring ear infections, he gave me a prescription for a medicine to keep on hand for when I got another infection. So, of course, I have not had another one. That is fine; I prefer not having them to having them and having medicine on hand. I have, however, come down with a doozie of a cold.

Before I am aware that I am actually getting sick with something, whether it is a cold, an ear infection, or another malady such as UTI, I get irrationally cranky. My husband's comments to the contrary, I think I am a pretty even tempered person who would rather get along with people than not. But when I start getting sick things that would not normally even be on my radar screen become major irritants. People I like suddenly seem to be the most aggravating people I have ever known. And my patience, never an abundant commodity, becomes non-existent.

This was the case yesterday morning. I was sneezing and my nose was running, but I chalked it up to allergies. I was scheduled to have lunch with my friends across town at 12:15. By about 10:30 my throat was getting scratchy, I had sounded off in staff meeting, and I had a pretty good idea that my allergies were really a cold.

As I was trying to get away from work at noon, knowing that I would never make it to 13th & Meridian by 12:15, my phone rang. It was a document order and one that wanted actual cost. The phone had rung all through staff meeting and I could not hear on the lame cordless so always had to come to my desk. I had the cordless when this call came in but I sneezed hard and broke the connection! Then I had to figure the cost on the calculator as I had already shut down my computer.

I finally got away from the office, probably no more than 5 minutes late. Since there is no good way to get from Central and Edgemoor to 13th & Meridian, I decided to go across town on 13th. Bad idea. Of course there was a train, a long train. But the upside was that it didn't stop and block the tracks for 30 minutes.

I finally got to the restaurant about 12:30. Carol and Wilma, bless their hearts, were still waiting for me and we had a pleasant lunch. I warned them about my cold but they didn't seem to be too concerned.

When I got home about 3:00 I took some alergy medicine for the decongestant properties. It made me sleepy but my throat continued to irritate me. My big problem with medicine that makes me sleepy is that it doesn't actually allow me to sleep soundly. I finally got up at 1:00 a.m. and took two extra strength Tylenol as that is the only thing I have found that will get a sore throat under control for me. It did the trick but every time I started to go back to sleep I started snoring so loudly that I woke myself, and Harry, I think, up.

So today I feel a little better but am terribly tired. I had no choice but to come to work since I was the only one who was going to be here this morning. Who do you call in sick to when you are the only one scheduled to work? I will make it through; at least I only have to work until 1:00. Then I think I will make a medicine run and get some non drowsy cold medicine and maybe something to improve my disposition. (Like a 10 hour nap!)

I get so terribly irritated when someone says you "only have a cold". To me, a cold is one of the more miserable maladies, but we're supposed to function right through them and, in the process, spread germs everywhere. I think our Puritan work ethic will end up being the death of us all. But the, I'm CRANKY.