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Sick Day

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There’s an odd coldness clawing at the back of my throat as I lay down for an uncharacteristic 6 PM nap. By the time I stir to life, it’s four in the morning. I’m drenched in fever-sweat and that tenderness I felt hours ago has become an unmistakable, raw rasp. I down three days' worth of Vitamin C in a vain effort to give myself some peace of mind before splashing water on my face. I scribble a quick note to my girlfriend (“Call in for me. Thanks.”) before turning in again. As my mind falls blank, I balance the pros and cons and think only of tomorrow’s inevitable conclusion:

I’m going to have to take a sick day.

The phrase would ordinarily arouse joy. Almost instantly, a teenager’s ideal vacation pops into my mind. I’m waking up at the crack of noon to a fridge stocked with pizza, tuna fish, and soda. I’m spending hours on the couch, neglecting food and bathroom needs while I vegetate to the tune of a movie or brand new game. Ordinarily, the thought of taking a Saturday afternoon and extending it into the work week is something most people would relish. This could just be the baggage of a Puritan work ethic speaking, but the concept of taking time off to sleep and drink fluids feels like an excessive extravagance to me.

This wasn't always the case. Even as recently as my college years, sick days were framed in my mind as beautiful, luxurious breaks from the monotony of work. They were unscheduled down-time that traded productivity and routine for a binge of intemperance, at the price of mild discomfort. They were interminable affairs punctuated by medication and lazy sleep. The very definition of indulgence, really.

Nothing can quite compare to the days I took off as a child, though. Living in a home without central heating, in the shadow of a 5 story apartment complex, left me at the mercy of chilly Los Angeles winters. Like clockwork, I would develop a case of bronchitis in the days between Halloween and Christmas. For eight years, I received an extra week’s worth of vacation, all thanks to my compromised bronchi. It was like an early, sputum-filled Christmas.

For a child of the pre-internet age, when television was confined to rigid, precise schedules and information was available in glossy pages on a monthly timeline, the extra days meant a lot of games, a lot of syndicated TV sitcoms, and a lot of VHS movies. On one occasion, I ran through The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past in a bit over two days, with time off for vomiting, fevered napping, and lunch. On another, I marathoned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory over three days (total viewings: 9). And then there was the time I plowed through my collection of Nintendo Power and EGM magazines. These wasted days were a Faustian bargain.

Looking back, it feels as though I was doing anything within my power to keep from being bored. The intensity and frequency of my coughing made getting actual rest impossible. The amount of phlegm spewing from my face required constant tissues (or trips to the sink). It was either entertain myself or sit in bed, eyes fixed at the ceiling, while I waited for the next round of coughing spasms to hit. I was sidelined for days on end, sure, but spending almost every waking moment in my tiny, little room left me with a feeling of timelessness that has become very hard to recreate. I was cut off from friends (all at school) and family (all at work) and left to my own devices for interminable hours.

As I grew older, the feeling of having lost time grew more pronounced. Sure, a day off from college to whiz through Kingdom Hearts wasn’t necessarily a life-or-death proposition, but the time I spent on a game could have been more judiciously applied to that month’s term paper. It’s not as though I absolutely HAD to finish the game that afternoon, after all; I was just trading instant gratification for eventual gratification. And keeping myself from being bored.

Now, I’m stuck feeling as though I’m playing hooky, picturing a stack of “TO DO” items growing and growing while I roll about listlessly in bed. I’m no longer cut off; I can call, text or chat with a number of my friends from the comfort of my bed. From the couch, I can connect with a multitude of players around the world—speak with them or play with them silently—and share an entire game’s worth of moments with them. Something about that feels a bit off, messes with my conception of a solitary day of sloth.

Of the sick time I’ve taken this year (a grand total of two and a half days), I’ve played a video game for maybe three whole hours during one of those days. I’ve not watched any movies, save for the television serving faithfully as background-noise while I try to sleep. Of magazines, I have read not a single issue of anything. As for the internet, I muster a good 30-minutes' worth of checking mail and browsing before I’m weary of it all.

All of the changes that have come into life in the last 15 years, such as the convenience of on-demand entertainment or the always-on nature of the internet, mean very little to me when I’m curled up in bed with a bottle of Vicks VapoRub and a bag of cough drops. Nor do they help ease the infuriating tingle at the back of my throat.

It just reminds me that a sick day isn’t a vacation.

Comments

MrDeVil909 wrote:
wordsmythe wrote:
padriec wrote:

I very rarely take a sick day without being sick but sometimes, when I can feel burnout creeping up on me, a "non-sick" sick day is needed. I just feel that if I can take a day of rejuvenation that when I come back I'll be much more productive and the day off will pay for itself.

I take these from time to time, as well. Once or twice a year I just need some time to get my head right.

Isn't that a mental health day? It's what I call it.

But my HR person would tag it as a precious, precious vacation day.

Oh, no! You don't tell HR that.

*edit*

I could use a mental health day right now actually. But it is literally impossible.

And I mean literally.

I've been substitute teaching for a high school history teacher on maternity leave the past five weeks, and I have been terrified of getting sick. I have no idea how to call in a sub for myself, as I acquired this job through a non-standard route and am not part of the usual sub service. One week to go and fingers crossed...

It is funny to come in on days where loads of teachers have decided to take a day off. The district is steadily eliminating which days teachers can take a personal day, since we had so many snow days this winter, so folks are sneaking them in whenever they can.

I played video games during my sick day today. But, I really WAS miserable, even kind of while gaming. It just distracted me from the constant head prattle of "Ugh. I feel like crap. Ugh. I feel like crap. Ugh. I feel like crap."

Just had two sick days this week. Was playing some serious MW2 to make me feel better, when my internet went out. Doh! Had to dig up an offline single player game to get by...

I fought through Monday, but Tuesday morning kicked me in the junk. What truly and deeply sucks is that I was too guilty to game, guilty that my wife had to look after the baby all by herself. How can I game when my little girl is at daycare and I'm dripping from uncommon holes? To make matters worse I'll have to work a few days of overtime to get my project done, and I still have to take the sick day. Meh.

I spend all of last week with food poisoning (from the Wal-Mart deli). The dull ache of a lower intestinal tract a constant reminder that my body was ill. I viewed the fact that Tropcio 3 was on sale as divine providence.

However, I was unable to get much joy out of the game as I vomited and slept through most of the week. Not to mention the guilt, last time someone took a week off at my job they were going through Chemo. Felt like a pansy getting laid up with something as mundane as food poisoning.

I'm taking one tomorrow. Twisted my spine playing with the kids and aggravated an old motorcycle injury.

Stack of work to do, but there's no way I can sit upright infront of a computer for 8-9 hours without being in some serious pain.

One of the few times lying down on the couch with a controller in hand will actually be 'good' for me!