31 days of Self Care – Days 3 thru 7
Days 3 thru 7 (demise of a bug): This entry about my journey with 31 days of Self Care covers 5 days, and I’m sure there will be some of you that will see this as “cheating.” Maybe so, but by not posting daily entries these last 5 days, I have actually engaged in self care. Let me explain.
Beginning with Day 3 the total loss of my voice (oh, the pain of not being able to talk!), as well as all the upper respiratory stuff that is behind that, put me into the role of nurse – nurse to myself. I rescheduled important commitments and even had to ask my trainer buddy, Desirée, for assistance (she’s a gem!). I stayed in touch with clients and responded to their needs, but that was all I did related to work.
I’d been here before; this type of attack on my health was/is a common occurrence, and I knew what I had to do – drink more fluids, rest my voice and my body, use over-the-counter remedies to relieve the symptoms and hopefully catch the bug before it worsened.
By Day 6, my voice tried to be known, and I was able to talk on my rescheduled VTP class for an hour. I saw this as somewhat of a victory; getting my voice back, albeit a scratchy voice, indicated I was on the road to recovery. After the call, I continued my resting regime and did little else.
But the morning of Day 7 revealed something different. My voice was better, but the “bug” had expanded to a barky cough and a painful ear. I had tried to avoid this stage, but it was obvious that the bug was winning. By early afternoon I knew I had to get medical intervention. The nurse practitioner uncovered each aspect of this bug’s attack – ear infection, sinus infection and bronchitis! I was so discouraged, as I had done everything I knew to stop this from happening. Later that afternoon when I unpacked the 3 prescriptions and began the 10-day course of antibiotics, I realized it could have been much worse had I waited another day. By doing what I had all week (making my health a priority), I had prevented the bug from total victory (it could have been pneumonia by now). I was now on a course of recovery, and I knew in two days I would feel better. The bug would lose.
You all know that women tend to keep on going, even when we’re not feeling good. The lesson for me (and hopefully you) is to stop and listen to your body. Ask for help and rely on your friends and family to pick up your responsibilities for a few days. Then listen more and take action – don’t deny yourself medical intervention. You’d take your children and insist that your husband go to the doctor, so do the same for yourself. Self care means paying attention to your body, as well as your soul.
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