The Plague Cometh, the Plague Goeth

This is Steven Petrick Posting.

This last Saturday I had a burning in the back of my throat. By late Sunday it had not yet evolved into a cough, although I had started to feel feverish. Sunday night I called SVC to say I would probably not be in Monday, but while I overslept that morning, I just did not feel sick enough to really stay home. By this time I had a cough, and could sort of feel as if I had some fluid in my lungs, but somehow did not really feel as if I was sick enough to stay down.

I have come to realize that I was indeed far sicker than I was aware.

In the 96 hours that lasted from Saturday to Tuesday evening I slept more than 58 of them. I did not eat very much in that period, and while I came into work both Wednesday and today (and indeed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday though I stayed less than a hour on the latter two days) I found myself completely lacking in stamina. I also found it difficult to concentrate on Wednesday.

As of today, I still have a cough (and it is sort of funny, as bad as things got, I did not suffer the kind of extended coughing jags I have associated with this kind of illness in the past). But I have not coughed long enough or repeatedly enough that the muscles that control my breathing have become painfully overworked.

I kept thinking I was getting better every day I was sick, and clearly I was not, given the lack of stamina I still have today.

I do not know what this was, how or where I caught it, probably some kind of flu, but I think this has been one of the most draining illnesses I have ever had. I cannot recall sleeping that much while coughing so little.