I was so proud of myself for not having caught a cold during the fall and winter of 2017, but not even a week into 2018 went by before I caught the flu. I suppose it was inevitable since I’d been working on a research project with a friend who was recovering from the flu, and trekking up to Seoul on a bus filled with people sniffling with their colds. It’s been a really miserable two weeks because even before I caught the flu I had been dealing with stomach issues from being so stressed last semester. I ended up getting an endoscopy at the hospital, and believe me it was no fun. So while everyone has been pumped up celebrating the new year and setting up goals, I’ve been sick in bed with a bad cough, swollen throat, and congestion.
At first I just got some over-the-counter cold medicine from the pharmacy and made do, but then I got a fever and started throwing up and my brother rushed me to the hospital. The medicine I got from the doctor helped, but when I ran out I had to go back to get some more because after a day without meds my throat had swollen up again so badly that I completely lost my voice. When it started coming back again my brother remarked that I sounded like a drunk Scarlett Johansson. That kind of cheered me up a bit, because who doesn’t want a voice that resembles the husky, sexy voice of Scarlett Johansson?
I’m finally on the mend though, and after a few days of restless nights I finally got to sleep for 8 hours last night. Oh it just feels so amazing getting a good night’s rest! With the new meds my throat has been getting better and it doesn’t feel swollen shut anymore. The congestion has cleared up a lot and I’m not coughing quite as much as I was a couple days ago. I’ve been drinking a lot of ginger tea because I’ve read that it helps with sore throats. Not the tastiest of teas, but I really want to get over being sick already!
For the four day before I got this terrible flu I had started doing yoga everyday. Because I hardly exercised at all last semester, my body had become completely stiff and I was alarmed by how limited my range of motion had become. When I realized I was struggling with poses that used to be easy for me, I knew that I really needed to get back in shape. So I had been working out everyday for all of four days before I landed myself smack in bed with the flu. Since I’m feeling a lot better today, I might ease back into my yoga routine and maybe wash all my sheets and pillow cases. I also have two books that I want to read this winter: The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford and Economics: The User’s Guide by Ha-Joon Chang. I haven’t really studied economics or finance before, and I figure that’s something that I need to sharpen up on, so I’ve had these on my to-read list for a while. I thought about reading them while I was sick in bed, but all I managed to do was binge watch Friends on Netflix.
Your Turn ♥ How has the New Year been for you so far?
