I always get at least one cold a year, so I've been overdue one this year. Last weekend, my throat started hurting, and it became very clear that I was getting a cold. By Tuesday (the first day of the work after the weekend for me), my voice didn't sound right and it really hurt. When I showed up for work, everyone was really worried, and I wound up going to the hospital a few hours into the day after they made me take my temperature and I turned out to have a slight fever.
Everyone in Japan has been pretty on edge about the coronavirus. We have new rules to follow at work that include cleaning even more than normal, guidelines on when the wear masks, etc. I was already kind of worried about how everyone would react to me being sick considering everything.
At the doctor, they tested me for the flu and pneumonia, but I had neither one. They have me medicine for the cold, and I got the rest of the day off work. By Wednesday, I was back at work and powering through. Funnily enough, that's when it started becoming much harder to speak even though my voice sounded better to everyone else.
Despite the medicine, it was undoubtedly the worst cold I've had in at least several years, and I did, in fact, field my fair share of jokes about having coronavirus. Saturday also happened to be our Valentine's Day party, and despite how fun it was, I was ready to completely crash by the end of the day.
Luckily, today was the day when I finally feel almost entirely okay. (Which is really good because today is also the day that the medicine the doctor gave me ran out.) I'm still congested, so I'm using nasal spray that I sometimes use for my allergies to fight that. But compared to the rest of the week, I feel fantastic. I thought I was going to stay in bed all day after the week I'd had. Instead, I've been really energetic after feeling fatigued all week. I can't complain right now.
There's still time left in flu season though, so fingers crossed this will be my only brush with illness this winter. I can only hope (and keep washing my hands).
