Happy Saturday, everyone! No, I hadn’t forgotten about writing up my outfit recap for this week—I’m still in “recovery mode” from being sick. I’m feeling better, but still not quite back to 100%.
I’m still not entirely sure what it is I have/had. At first, I thought maybe I was having a really bad allergy attack, or that some… “thing” had found its way and set up camp deep in my nasal passages. I had spent a couple of days sneezing pretty much non-stop, but by the time last weekend rolled around, I was doing a lot of sleeping, and even had some coughing and trouble breathing. A trip to the urgent care clinic later, and they felt like it was some kind of viral/cold thing. I was told to keep taking Sudafed as needed for the congestion, and was also given a prescription for some strong cough syrup.
Let me tell you—there simply aren’t any words accurate enough to describe just how bitter and how awful it tasted. I have only taken one dose of it, and that’s all I plan to take; yes, it’s that bad. It’s HORRENDOUS. To boot, it’s got some really “great” side effects as well:
- Drowsiness
- Avoid prolonged exposure to direct/artificial sunlight
- Blurred vision
Luckily, I did not experience blurred vision, but I’m extremely curious about why the need to avoid sunlight (maybe it’s better I don’t know 😂). I will tell you, the drowsiness was no joke. I took a dose around 4 in the afternoon, and while I felt fine for the rest of the afternoon and evening, I went to lay down for the night, and it happened—I fell asleep, as if someone turned off a switch in my head. I barely remember settling down, and the next thing I knew, it was morning. So yeah, I’m not touching that stuff again unless it’s dire—even then, I still might give pause to doing so. 🤣
This Got Me Thinking
It’s probably an obvious conclusion, but being sick this week got me thinking. Not just about a sniffle or a cough, but being the kind of sick that knocks you off your feet and says, You’re not going anywhere. And I had no choice but to listen.
It’s interesting — how much of our value we equate to being dependable, productive, present. But getting sick reminds you: you’re not a machine. You can’t optimize your way out of needing rest. That feels like the hard part. Slowing down feels like falling behind, almost failing somehow. Sometimes, maybe slowing down is the only way we ever truly catch up — to ourselves.
This week, I’ve been trying to take care. Drinking lots of liquid things. Sleeping a lot more than usual. Embracing the slowness. Letting the silence stretch a little longer between thoughts.
Trying not to rush the healing.
This rest helped me to learn to let go of the to-do list. To stop measuring my value in output.
To let recovery be enough.
It’s not easy. But it’s healing.
Finally, here’s a look back at what I wore to work this week, when I felt strong enough to show up. Even though I did show up, I was sure to make sure to move slowly and keep the quiet going. I was—and still am—in recovery mode, after all. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’ll be here healing, and napping. ☺️
-Terry
July 9
July 10
July 11
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