Two Day Magazine

For me, the last two weeks have involved little sleep and lots of drugs.

And, no, it has nothing to do with a rave or some wild party. I’ve been battling allergy season like a pro, and it has been nothing short of miserable.

With the sniffling, sneezing, aches, headaches, fever and a host of other ailments, not even my cat has wanted to be around me, let alone other humans.

Wow, what a drag it is being sick.

All of this hacking up a lung and downing Mucinex D had me thinking about how being sick really can turn a hot romance cold in an instant — not that I have to worry about that, but some of you might.

And even if it’s not a steamy romance, being sick can be a downfall to any relationship.

While I deal with severe allergies on a daily basis, the cold I have dealt with really threw my social and work lives for a loop. As somebody who works 12, 13,14 hours or more days, I found myself zonked out under several blankets and an ice pack on my ear.

For what seemed like eternity, my bed became my most familiar spot, occasionally moving to the bathroom or living room couch for a change of pace.

Had it not been for Facebook, Twitter and television, I’d have lost track of the world. Admittedly, I kind of did lose track of the world for much of a 48-hour period during the five or six days I really felt sick.

Conversations with friends halted, few e-mails were exchanged and I cared little about the people whining on Facebook.

It seemed, however, that few people cared about my wellness. While I didn’t broadcast my ailments to the world, many folks knew I was sick. Less than a few actually checked in to make sure I hadn’t gotten worse (maybe they hoped I had?).

Maybe it was the prescribed medication, but at one point I actually wished I was living with a significant other who would fetch an ice cold glass of water when I needed one, or would remind me to take my medication after the eighth hour was up. I quickly snapped out of it when I thought about the nagging that probably would be the case had I been dating someone — “Get your own damn water,” “How long are you going to pretend you’re sick?”

Being sick doesn’t make you feel sexy, so I can’t imagine many boyfriends or girlfriends — or married couples — really enjoying their partner catching a cold or the flu. There could be several days of sleeping in separate rooms, no date nights or snuggling on the couch and, of course. no sex. I can’t really see sneezing and a running nose being a turn on.  Maybe it’s just me?

I even attempted a day of work while sick, but left after about nine hours when I realized I was getting worse, not better. The following day, I slept in, and only went to work in the evening for several hours. Probably not the best thing to do (and clearly my column last week didn’t resonate with me).

While in college, getting sick probably would have meant a weekend in my apartment and away from the hullabaloo of hanging out and unwinding with friends over a host of different collegial activities. That isn’t the case anymore, but I still found myself canceling work engagements, a few social outings and a volunteer experience — nothing outlandish, but still, I’d rather not have been sick.

However, getting sick can actually be good for us. It allowed me to slow down and realize that before I do anything else, I need to focus on myself (which I do very little of), and I also was forced to try to rest more than I would when I’m not sick.

I find it sad I have to wait until I get sick to slow down and take care of myself. But, maybe the next time I get sick, I’ll have to find myself a weekend getaway to Orlando with a king-size bed and fancy pool, instead.

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twoday magazine hopes Bobby feels better soon! Send him well wishes on our Facebook page or tweet them to @GoBobbo.

Like this article? Check out other pieces from twodaymag:

     Romance: Too Much to Ask For? By Mia Bencivenga

     Hey Workaholic: Are You Destroying Your Relationships? By Bobby Cherry

Can’t get enough of Bobby Cherry? We can’t, either! So don’t forget to check out his website: GoBobbo.com