A couple Mondays ago, I started getting a cold. It was a weird one — all coughing and headache, not really any runny nose. The coughing got worse over the next few days, and finally on Friday I started developing typical cold symptoms: Stuffy nose, burning eyes, low fever, exhaustion.

All weekend, I rested. Ian took care of everything while I spent Saturday and Sunday in bed. Unlike with most colds, I didn’t even think of going for a bike ride. I was too tired to get out of bed, let alone do anything physical (especially in the 36-degree rain falling that day). In fact, I was too tired for anything at all. Watching Netflix on my Surface was exactly the level of activity I could sustain. That was with taking Dayquil every 6 hours, which normally makes me a bit hyper.

By Tuesday night, I had not only not gotten any better; I had started spiking a fever of over 100 in the evenings, as well as feeling even more exhausted, which I honestly didn’t think possible. Ian, Mom, and Deborah did a lot of the hard work with Benji, because I literally didn’t have it in me to do more than just say, “OK… whatever…” Tuesday night I finally gave in and called my doctor. She said she wanted to see me, so I scheduled an appointment for Wednesday afternoon.

I expected her to just tell me I had a bad cold and go home and rest, even though it had been 10 full days and I was worse than ever. But instead she listened to my lungs and said that in addition to having some good wheezing, it sounded like I had some pneumonia in one of my lungs.

Well, NO WONDER I felt so crappy. If I had any energy, I would absolutely have felt something about it.

She prescribed a high-dose 5-day course of antibiotics, plus an inhaler to help with the coughing. Fortunately, coughing hasn’t kept me awake at night (at least, nothing Nyquil couldn’t suppress). I took the first dose, a doubled-up one, on Wednesday evening.

And felt yet more exhausted Thursday morning. Alas, evidently chest infections don’t respond to antibiotics as quickly as UTIs or mastitis. Fortunately for me, Benji went to school and then my in-laws took him overnight! Unfortunately, we had planned that so that Ian and I had intended to go see Rogue One with a theater full of friends, and I still felt too sick and tired to go. Ian took our friend Travis instead. Lucky guy. I took my next dose of antibiotics and watched some more Netflix.

I am so grateful to live in an era where antibiotics still work; and grateful that my immune system can fight this disease off. Getting sick really helps me remember to be thankful for my overall good health, something it’s easy to take for granted when you have it.

About My Job

Meanwhile I have also put in 21 hours of work for the week, slightly higher than average, even while sick. I’ve had a lot to do, and it helps to be able to do it at home in my pajamas. I started writing down directions for the tasks I do, but it’s gotten to be such a long list, I don’t think I’ll finish before the end of the year.

That may be changing, however. I’m doing a new job interview next week, and I’m already excited/anxious about it. If this job happens, we’re looking at enormous changes to our life from how it has been the last four years. Really, after December 31 everything will change one way or another, since I’m leaving my current job for something new then anyway.

Overall, I’m excited for this new phase in my life, if also concerned about how it might all work out. But I’m going to take a leap of faith and trust that, whatever happens, God is in charge.

Meanwhile, I will probably spend most of the day in bed with Netflix and my Kindle again, letting my body get better. I’m ready to move on!