Life as Betsy

A number of years ago (five, actually), I worked for a Gottschalks store in CA and when it came to calling in sick, they were pretty ruthless. You’d reach the Customer Service desk and they would put you on hold and page the manager on duty to take your call. It was very well vocalized throughout the employees that the managers would then try to talk you out of being sick. You had to nearly perform over the phone on how sick you were. I am sure that was from years of employees playing hooky, but it was annoying for employees like myself, who only use sick days when they are legitimately sick. I have carried that with me since, always worried that I would have to prove to my employer or instructor that I am really sick.

I am not too sick to stay bedridden (though I haven’t really moved from the couch all morning, or last night, for that matter, except to go to bed) but I don’t feel well enough to be interacting with customers and being social in general. I definitely will not be frolicking in the sunshine this afternoon, though I may pause a moment or two by my car to absorb some warmth (and pray that my Transistion lenses will get dark enough for me not to need to put sunglasses on OVER my glasses). My teeth ache and my nose is so plugged and my head hurts. And now . . . now my eye is red and looking like it has conjunctivitis. That means possibly pink eye (which is highly contagious and all the more reason why I shouldn’t be at school today) though I think it is just another side effect from the sinus infection, like the aching teeth. Not taking any chances, I have to toss my last pair of contact lenses and without a current prescription, I am having to head into the eye doctor this afternoon. The earliest appt I could get is 3:30.

So . . . do I go to school for a few hours? I’d have to leave by three to make my appt. Or do I just call the day a wash, rest up and make sure to be healthy enough for the extra cirricular class I signed up for on Monday? My alternative is to not attend on Monday and go to the doctor then, but if this is something more than just a side effect, I want to get antibiotics on it as soon as possible. And again, if this is something more than a side effect, do I want to put my new friends at risk of possibly catching it too? Pink eye and conjunctivitis in general is nasty. You have to throw out all your mascara and any eye makeup you’ve used in the last week, not to mention the pus and the flaky eye lashes and the lovely reddish tint to your eye. You have to use a different wash cloth for each side of your face and wash your hands like every fifteen minutes to make sure you are transferring bacteria to anything or anyone or your other eye, if it managed to remain uneffected.

I can remember one morning when we were kids and my brother woke up with pink eye. His eye was so bad, his eyelids were glued shut and Mom had to soak it with a hot wash cloth for about ten minutes. I know I’ve had it that bad before too.