sick and work? advice please!

[Deleted]

I HAVE THE WORST TIMING. my summer job exists solely for the programs I will help lead over the next three weeks.

today is day four of sickness. I need to be healthy by 8:30am tomorrow.

I have a 100.6* fever, congestion everywhere, headache, heavy chest, and a non-productive cough/choke on excess mucus. I also feel dizzy/out of it - the medicine I took the last two days could be the culprit here, although I've only had ibuprofen today.

so what would you do? should I send my boss an e-mail and give her a heads up that I am ill but am hoping to rebound by tomorrow? should I just suffer silently and try to hide it? (I don't want to get other people sick but omg I cannot miss work. I would totally be letting them down.)

also any tips on how to speed up the healing would be greatly appreciated. I have cut out meat, dairy, and refined sugar, and I am downing lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, garlic and green tea like it is my job.

I feel like an idiot for having to tell my boss I am sick during the most important time of the year for us. I know it is not in my control, but they're really counting on me. and most of our staff volunteers their time - I am one of the few paid ones. I cannot be this flaky/sickly/whatever.

[Deleted]

Go to a walk in clinic and get checked out. It could be bronchitis which might clear with antibiotics

[thatgirl2478]

Go to walgreens and get some tylenol cold/sinus. Start drowning yourself in soup and WATER. SLEEP.

Good Luck.

I have a similar cold right now. I'm trying not to die as well since I need to be able to function tomorrow.

[thatgirl2478]

The 'dizzy/out of it' is usually from the fever.

[315bride]

I would definitely email your boss about the fever. I don't mess with a fever. I can't tell from your writing if you have mucus or not. Drink lots of fluids, take something for the fever, and get lots of rest.

If you still have a fever tomorrow, I would go to the doctor. Last December, I had a severe illness with fever and it wasn't until I go put on meds that I started to feel better.

[chessie]

I would head to a walk in. Email your boss, if you can work from home do that. That is what I do for when I am really sick and I have to work.

[thatgirl2478]

Jul 8, 2012 10:44:34 GMT -5 @315bride said:

I would definitely email your boss about the fever. I don't mess with a fever. I can't tell from your writing if you have mucus or not. Drink lots of fluids, take something for the fever, and get lots of rest.

If you still have a fever tomorrow, I would go to the doctor. Last December, I had a severe illness with fever and it wasn't until I go put on meds that I started to feel better.

Based on what OP said - I would email as an FYI, go to the dr today and hope that the fever breaks during the night.

[karinothing]

I am pretty sure cutting out meat or dairy will not alleviate your fever. In fact, you should be making sure you are getting enough protein so that your body is able to fight whatever you have. Regardless, get them to the clinic.

[Deleted]

thatgirl - my SO got me some cold stuff (basically mucinex) but it makes me feel so loopy. I guess I should suck it up and take it.

315 - I do have mucus in my throat (I can feel it loosen when I cough) but I am not producing it with the cough. I'm just loosening it and then swallowing it. yuck, sorry.

I cannot work from home. we deliver a program to hs kids so it's all in person. I know I shouldn't be around kids. ugh.

my fever broke once today and then came back and now it's down again (~99*). I can't tell if it's breaking because I'm getting better or if the ibuprofen kicked in. I really don't want to move off my couch today to get to the clinic so if my fever does not come back would it be okay to fight this on my own? probably not, huh? boo.

karinothing - I read online that dairy increases mucus production and meat is too difficult for your body to break down when you're sick. I've been eating lots of carrot ginger soup and whole grain oatmeal with cinnamon.

[macmars45]

DayQuil is my BFF when I'm sick and can't miss work. It makes me feel at least half way human. However, I use it for colds that don't include fevers or after the fever is down.

[karinothing]

Jul 8, 2012 10:59:11 GMT -5 tacom said:

thatgirl - my SO got me some cold stuff (basically mucinex) but it makes me feel so loopy. I guess I should suck it up and take it.

315 - I do have mucus in my throat (I can feel it loosen when I cough) but I am not producing it with the cough. I'm just loosening it and then swallowing it. yuck, sorry.

I cannot work from home. we deliver a program to hs kids so it's all in person. I know I shouldn't be around kids. ugh.

my fever broke once today and then came back and now it's down again (~99*). I can't tell if it's breaking because I'm getting better or if the ibuprofen kicked in. I really don't want to move off my couch today to get to the clinic so if my fever does not come back would it be okay to fight this on my own? probably not, huh? boo.

karinothing - I read online that dairy increases mucus production and meat is too difficult for your body to break down when you're sick. I've been eating lots of carrot ginger soup and whole grain oatmeal with cinnamon.

The dairy mucous connection is a myth. See study concluding: We conclude that no statistically significant overall association can be detected between milk and dairy product intake and symptoms of mucus production in healthy adults, either asymptomatic or symptomatic, with rhinovirus infection.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2154152

Re: meat while sick


Whether you are sick with the flu or not, protein is always necessary to keep your body strong. Proteins are essential to help your body maintain and build strength. Lean meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dairy, eggs, and nuts and seeds are good sources of protein.

www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/what-to-eat-when-you-have-the-flu

[Ashley&Scott]

Go to the walkin, call in sick tomorrow & get lots of rest.

[Deleted]

Jul 8, 2012 12:42:15 GMT -5 karinothing said:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2154152

Re: meat while sick


Whether you are sick with the flu or not, protein is always necessary to keep your body strong. Proteins are essential to help your body maintain and build strength. Lean meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dairy, eggs, and nuts and seeds are good sources of protein.

www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/what-to-eat-when-you-have-the-flu

I give up. all the conflicting information is frustrating. even the webmd article you linked says "In some people, dairy products increase mucus production. If this happens to you, avoid dairy for a few days."

[Roc A Bee]

I would email a heads up that your headed to a walk in clinic because you have a fever. I don't mess around with a fever. If you came to work that sick, and I was your coworker, I'd be pissed. Take whatever they give you, down water! And sleep.

[Deleted]

fever has yet to return and it's been 4.5 hours since I took ibuprofen - I hope I'm in the clear with that!

[LoveTrains]

Eh, 100* is not really a high fever for me. I would go to the walk-in, see what they say, and then get yourself all kinds of drugs so you can tough it out at work.

[315bride]

Jul 8, 2012 13:43:43 GMT -5 tacom said:

fever has yet to return and it's been 4.5 hours since I took ibuprofen - I hope I'm in the clear with that!

Keep up with the OTC fever reducer and rest. I would take your temp in the morning. If you still have a temp, no work for you! Sorry, I agree with others that you should not be working with anything resembling a temperature. I am sure your boss will understand.

[Deleted]

Jul 8, 2012 13:46:03 GMT -5 @315bride said:

Keep up with the OTC fever reducer and rest. I would take your temp in the morning. If you still have a temp, no work for you! Sorry, I agree with others that you should not be working with anything resembling a temperature. I am sure your boss will understand.

I think this sounds like a good plan! I will go take my mucinex junk and force myself to nap now.

I am really not excited about going to a clinic because there's a good chance this was caused by a virus that can't be treated with antibiotics/my body will fight it off in the next day or two anyways. and I'd rather rest the next few hours rather than take germy public transit and wait in a long line to be seen by someone who rushes me out after a 5 min appointment. it is awful.

thanks all.