I'm back, and it feels so good. I've spent 99% of the last three weeks in my bed, feeling like crud. There were fevers and chills, body aches and throat blisters, swollen glands and ENDLESS coughing. I'm not gonna lie, it was miserable. BUT, there were some really positive things that happened as a result of those three weeks as well. Here are my five gratefuls:
+ at the beginning, my friend Lindsay wrote this sweet post for me after I asked her for some suggested reading material, knowing I would be down for a while. My favorite part of that post however, wasn't the great links and recommendations, it was this little gem of advice: "sometimes - just sometimes being sick can be a blessing. a chance to rest up and take care of you." I thought a lot about that wisdom and made the decision not to take for granted the "opportunity" I was being given to 100% clear my schedule, truly rest, and recover. Rather than feel sorry for myself, I would be happy for myself.
+ And honestly, it was nice. Luckily, my children are old enough to really fend for themselves, as well as help with the daily household chores. And friends, my husband is a SAINT who drove the kids to school every single day so that I could stay in bed. He would call me from town almost daily to see if there was anything I needed him to bring home. He checked on me, filled my water, brought me medicine, and waited on me patiently. If nothing else, this experience reminded me how blessed I am to have such a man as my eternal companion. I love him so much.
+ I had a lot of time to think. I thought long and hard about how I need to treat my body better. About how I need to eat better, exercise more, take my vitamins daily, stop over-committing myself, and avoid stress like the plague. I am now making real plans to prevent future health meltdowns.
+ I also had a lot of time to read. So far this month, I've read 9 books, I'm currently reading the 10th. I've turned into a bookworm. Some of the books I read were AMAZING, some... not so much. Here are the ones I really really loved:
- These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner [I read the entire Sarah Prine series, but this one was my favorite and also my new favorite book!]
- The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom [I love historical fiction and this author created characters that I felt so invested in.]
- What Did I Do Wrong? by Liz Pryor [I think this book was so interesting and I've thought a lot about friendships with other women and how to deal with ones that end, change, or just struggle. It's not something we women talk a lot about, but something I really want to understand better. Having teenage daughters and friendships of my own, I found this book really fascinating.]
Ultimately, it looks like I may not have had Mono at all, but because of having it at age 14, when exposed to it now as an adult, my body reacts by using all of it's energy to fight off the illness. My antibody numbers for Epstein Barr were outrageously high and my body was so worn down. I developed an upper respiratory infection along the way as well and am still feeling the effects of that. I'm not 100% yet, and still dealing with breathing difficulty, some coughing, and sore, swollen glands, but I've got inhalers and antibiotics that I can feel are getting me back to good health.
Yesterday, I went out of the house for the first time in a real outfit [rather than yoga pants + sweatshirt] and went to the store to do a little retail therapy [bought a new outfit for date night tonight :] The sun was shining, my heart was happy, and I felt alive! The world looked so beautiful to me, and after spending so much time cooped up in the house, my senses seemed to be on overdrive. There is nothing quite like a yucky illness to make you appreciate good health.
What are you grateful for today?
Please share!
