Halloween and its after effects

What a day! It's the day after Halloween and I'm so sick I can barely breathe. Yesterday was a long, cold and tiring day. It wasn't the ideal situation to help me feel better.


I left home yesterday at 7:20 to go to work. I spent all morning in the computer lab giving my students a Unit 1 benchmark test on computer. At 2:00, we toured a haunted house set up by the parents in our library and proceeded out to the parking lot for trunk or treating. Trunk or treating is our schools way of trick or treating. Parents, faculty and community members decorate the trunks of their cars and hand out treats to the students as they walk by.


We have less than 100 students in K-5 and each vehicle gave out treats to each student. My students walked away with a bag overflowing with treats. I left school at about 4:00, drove home to pick up my youngest son, Joey, and headed to my mother-in-laws. I arrived about 5 to dress my daughter for Halloween.


We did the house to house running in Brewsterdale, WV and finished at around 6:30. I loaded everyone up and headed to Thompson Valley, VA to my Dad's home. We left there around 7:45. I arrived at my grandmother's in Tazewell at around 8:00. We finished there and headed to my Aunt and Uncles. We left there at about 9:30 and went to Foodlion to pick up Shane, my oldest, at work, at 10:00.


I finally arrived home at around 10:20, cold, tired and sick. I bathed the baby, fixed her a quick bite to eat, and began my homework. I finally crawled into bed at 12:00 am. My daughter enjoyed herself and I liked getting to see and talk to family. I do not get that privilege much these days, because of the overload of work I have this year. But today, I'm feeling the after effects of stretching myself to the limit.


I was already sick, but today I can't go for more than 20 minutes without sneezing. I have wiped my nose until its raw and my chest feels like someone has poured oil into my lungs. My mouth is dry, no matter what I drink and my whole face hurts. Its like someone has placed a balloon behind my cheekbones and then blew them up. The pressure is terrible.


I am not going to work tomorrow. I stayed after school for 30 minutes today to prepare lessons for the sub and got into trouble with my mother-in-law for doing it. She had a fit because I was late today. Man! I just can't catch a break! She knows that I have been sick, and that I probably need to see a doctor. What does she expect? For me to take a day off, I still have to do a great deal of work to get the privilege.


I was planning to go see a doctor tomorrow, but now the baby is running a fever. I may end up taking her instead; if I can get an appointment for either one of us. Her pediatrician never works on Friday and I do not have a family doctor. I will have to get up early in the morning and begin chain calling all the doctors in the area until I find one that will be able to see us or her.


I hate feeling this way, but I would gladly take on her fever if I could. She is very irritable and you can tell she does not feel well this evening. She has eaten very little, but she is drinking. I'm not worried about dehydration at this point. I on the other hand, am starving. I just finished eating and I am still hungry. Odd isn't it! Normally I eat very little and sporadically.


I guess I will try to get some rest tonight and hope that tomorrow brings better health for everyone.