So basically, I am always sick. I spent about four weeks out of this whole summer "healthy". As the first week back to school comes to a close, I find myself with another cold. This routine is getting really old, and really tiresome so I have decided to lighten the mood. You know how there are stages to grief? Well there are stages to me realizing I am getting sick. They go a little like this:

1) Discovery

In this stage, I begin to feel myself becoming sick. My nose clogs up, I develop a cough and my tonsils and throat begin to ache. At this stage, I am thouroughly aware of the fact that I am getting sick.

2) Denial

At this stage, I pretend my feeling off is related to something else. Most recently I decided I was allergic to the cat that continiously came into my house. I blame anything and everything; except for my immune system. As I cram for excuses, I do not do anything to prevent myself from becoming more sick.

3) Acceptance

Finally, I stop making stupid excuses, decide that I am sick and continue about my day leading into:

4) Perseverance

I do not slow down. I do not take a sick day. I do not take extra Vitamin C. I simply go about my business with a runny nose and a cough. My goal is to make it to the weekend. This is becuase when I get sick, my anxiety perks its little devil ears up and says "Hey! I don't think your doing crappy enough!" and decided to make me think that if I stop, I will eventually flunk out of school because of that one sick day. But that's a story for another day.

5) The Bitter (Week)End

The weekend stage is when I let myself be sick. I take my medicines, I drink my water and I fight tooth and nail to be back into the swing of things come Monday, This has yet to work. Usually, I am not so sick that I have a fever so I attend class and warn everyone in my vicinity not to breathe my direction. (My illnesses are not often contagious so don't yell at me).

Maybe one of these days I will actually become healthy. Until then, let me know if your stages of being sick are anything like mine!

Yours sickly (...again...),

Tiffany Taylor