Hanging in there, ish.

[BlueIris]

Have had a bit of a weekend. Mr. Iris did an overnight shift at the election; I was sure he'd said he'd finish at 2am but then at 2.45am his phone was still off, cue insane panic and thoughts about self-harm. He got back to me a little later - he'd finished late - and then I just had to deal with the stress of him walking a couple of miles home across some very dodgy areas, including ours.

At this point I already had some sort of cold/flu covid thing. Sleepless night #1.

Friday I caved and took a sick day, and actually got a little sleep that evening.

Saturday, Mr. Iris came down with what I have and my period showed up unexpectedly forcefully. Woke up every hour worrying about period stuff. Sleepless night #2.

Sunday I was still feeling wobbly and anxious - think particularly bad panic hangover - but I needed to go teach a friend's son how to bead because I'd promised and I knew she was cooking for me. Managed it, albeit I really had to fight the urge to cancel because I was terrified I'd bleed on her furniture. Sunday night, Mr. Iris was coughing all night. Sleepless night #3.

Monday, Mr. Iris had a high temp and my panic kicked in properly. Landed up sobbing for hours and him getting upset with me. Woke up every couple of hours at night but not quite so badly.

Today, Mr. Iris still has a temperature and I'm still scared that one or both of us is going to die of something horrible. In work regardless, zoning in and out but managing to get at least some work done. Boss came for my sickness absence debriefing and tried to convince me I'd get a formal warning if I had more sick time before October (Friday was my second day since mid-October). Double checked staff policy - I'm paranoid about hitting sickness absence triggers - and reassured myself she was wrong. Told her... tactfully.

Right now, still feel like I'm waiting for the worst to happen and desperately wanting more sleep. A fever can last a few days without it being a massively dangerous deal, right?

Link to my favourite poem because I'm really feeling the energy of this one right now.

[Darksky]

You sound just like me when Mr.D is ill. Also you sound just like me when he’s off somewhere and late back. We torture ourselves, we really do.

Temperatures last a few days. My youngest had a temperature so high once he was hallucinating. He laughs about it. He was fine.

Is Mr.Iris taking ibuprofen, that will help get it down. You’ve both caught whatever lurgy is doing the rounds and you will get over it. You always do. Anxiety just has to have a say in the matter. Rationality goes straight out of the window when catastrophe comes along. Try to remember this.

Fancy suggesting you would need a sickness debriefing for your second day since October. I’m glad you put her right. Still, that’s more pressure you didn’t need. My sister is the same with her sickness record. She goes in when she really shouldn’t because she’s scared of triggering warnings. Yet others frequently are absent without a care. Guess what, she has anxiety too.

What you need is sleep. Everything is so much worse when you’re missing sleep. I’m sure you’ll both feel better when you kick this bug to the kerb.

[BlueIris]

Thank you, Darksky. He's taking paracetamol but he's still hot, which is what was freaking me out even though I know it's illogical and I was the same a few days ago.

Sleep deprivation is my worst enemy, honestly.

[Lencoboy]

Hope you get better soon BI.

Me and my dad both had this bad cold thing about a month ago, but it wasn't Covid.

In fact, we both had an even worse virus just before last Christmas, which also wasn't Covid.

[BlueIris]

Thanks, Lenco, I really appreciate it.

Our work sickness policy is terrifying; if you're off 3 times in 6 months (or for 5 days) you automatically get a formal written warning on your record.

[Carnation]

Oh hell Blueiris
You were actually in my thoughts yesterday, I was wondering how you were doing, and now I know.
You have a trio of stuff causing overthinking and worry.
Hubbby coming down with something which could be a very bad case of hay-fever. Don't underestimate hay-fever, ice had several nights of coughing like a foghorn, sweating in the night and head full of shite. If it's not that, it's probably a spring cold. With the temperature all over the place that wouldn't surprise me if it's that.
He's not dying!
Secondly your period. Well you know what you're like with that. But well done for still keeping that appointment.
Thirdly, a boss with no compassion or understanding. It's not the first time I've heard the rough end of her tongue and it's obvious she has issues of her own.
Well done again for standing your ground, especially when she is wrong.
So I'm not surprised it's all affected your sleep.
But you are coming out of all three situations and when you return to work don't pander to your boss because you've been there a long time and you have to do something pretty much serious to lose your job. She hasn't got a leg to stand on and should never have said that to you. Employees take weeks off in sickness and a doctor will cover you up to 3 months if needed so please don't worry about it.
How are you today? xxx

[BlueIris]

Ironically, I'm fairly sure I'm still not over the thing he's got. I'm exhausted and floaty and all I can think about is getting home and lying down on the sofa.

We think it might have been covid as the symptoms seem to match up with more recent strains.

How are you?

[fishman65]

I think in the circumstances Blue, you're doing really well. Be proud of yourself!! And yes that boss needs a crash course in people management and another in empathy. What a bitch (sorry ladies). Having a go at employees never works and nor should it. All good bosses engender a sense of teamwork and respect.

And all this while battling a virus. You deserve some recognition!!

[BlueIris]

Thanks, Fishman. Mr. Iris is perking up a bit so hopefully I'll have sole couch rights tonight.

[Lencoboy]

Our work sickness policy is terrifying; if you're off 3 times in 6 months (or for 5 days) you automatically get a formal written warning on your record.

It really sucks that your work management are allowed to ride roughshod over employees like yourself who are having uncontrollable illnesses.

If your current cold-like illness might happen to be Covid by any chance, the media haven't made a song and danced over it for ages now.

In fact, (for better or worse) the only 2 countries in the world still publishing their (weekly) Covid stats so far during 2024 are New Zealand and Malaysia, according to Wikipedia.

Again, for better or worse, it seems like the rest of the world has now finally disowned the Covid pandemic, but then again, if it's now only causing a fairly negligible number of hospitalisations and/or deaths the world over compared to the high points of the pandemic in 2020-21, then all of its extensive media attention is obviously no longer warranted.

After all, the WHO did officially declare Covid 'no longer a public health emergency of international concern' (PHEIC) about a year ago.