Reader, I had the unfortunate luck of catching the flu (or some illness that causes flu-like symptoms). I woke up Thursday feeling under the weather, but I thought I was just tired from my busy week of Spanish classes and working. Halfway through class I got really feint and my students could tell I was not okay...they probably noticed before I did actually (I can be pretty stubborn about admitting something's wrong). But by the end of class there was no denying it, so I told my boss I didn't feel well and decided to take a cab home since I felt like I was about to pass out. In retrospect this wasn't the best idea because I was a little nauseated too and I'm prone to motion sickness on a normal day...I'm pretty sure I gave the cab driver way too much money (my memory of the whole thing is a little fuzzy cause I was pretty disoriented at the time), but I was so ready to get out of the car I just handed him some cash and fumbled my way inside. I didn't have the energy to change or take of my shoes or find the appropriate medication, I just curled up in my bed and tried to fall asleep. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fall asleep for a while and I spent a miserable two hours huddled in the fetal position, transitioning back and forth between burning up and having chills. I finally managed to sleep for about an hour and when I woke up I was able to look through my medicine and find some Tylenol (according to my Intro book, "take an Aspirin" is pretty much the cure for everything) and go back to sleep. I had also managed to change into pajamas, which were way more comfortable than my work clothes. Obviously, I was in no position to work, so I was forced to take the night off.
I was confined to my bed for the rest of Thursday and most of Friday. I did try going for a walk on Friday because I was feeling better, but that was definitely a mistake. I got a block away from my apartment and I started getting dizzy and I felt really weak so I had to turn around. Saturday morning I woke up feeling okay and went to work since I only had one 3 hour class. I felt fine until I had to walk up the stairs to get to my classroom. The climb was too much for me in my weakened state and I could feel the lightheadedness coming back. Fortunately, my good friend Patty came to my rescue with some Theraflu and a hug, which were exactly what the doctor ordered. The combination of the two helped me get through my class and back home to my bed and my book (I'm currently reading A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, which is being adapted into an HBO series that looks amazing!).
Today I finally feel like I'm not sick. I still feel pretty weak, making it up the stairs is still a challenge and I don't have my appetite back (this is the most distressing aspect of being sick btw...food is not appealing to me, how crazy is that?!), but the not feeling sick has been great. I went for a walk around the block and even ventured to the Hipermas (aka Walmart) to do a little shopping. Hopefully with one more good night's rest I'll be back to my normal self by tomorrow or Tuesday.
I've decided to see this unfortunate situation as a sign from my body that I should slow down a bit. I'm not going to take Spanish this week and I'm just going to focus on teaching. I'm also going to switch up my workouts and go for some more relaxing exercises like swimming and yoga instead of running and weight training. I was really enjoying my busy schedule, but apparently I'm not as young as I used to be...seriously. I'm also still adjusting to Costa Rica. I have only been here 2 months, even though it feels like I've been here much longer. So I'll put on the breaks for a bit and give my body a chance to catch up with my mind. Don't worry, a little virus can't keep me down for long, I'll be back to my normal ways in no time!
