some days I think the universe is out to get me

So I was driving back from New Jersey and about fifteen miles south of the New York/Pennsylvania border the universe slugged me in the face with a bag of sand and said, "SLEEP. NOW." I struggled gamely onward to the New York welcome center rest area, took a 15-minute nap, and hoped that was the end of the problem.

Except about two miles before I reached Owego, I got fuzzy again. So I took another 15-minute nap at the Wendy's before I bought dinner.

And then it happened again as I drove through Danby, and by the time I was heading down South Hill into Ithaca proper I was so tired I was literally dizzy. So as soon as I got home and carried all my stuff inside, I went to bed and (after a few minutes of excruciating pain; driving is not good for my back) was out like a light.

Until I woke up about two and a half hours later, achy and shivering, and realized I had a goddamn fever.

:-(

I am up right now because I hurt too much to fall asleep again. When my aspirin dose runs out, I am going to take a combo of Tylenol and ibuprofen instead, so as to hit the fever and the joint aches at the same time. Hopefully that will work.

I still think I will have to call in sick, though. Dammit. My coworkers are going to kill me.

wherein Liz continues to be sick (only in a slightly different direction)

So fevers! Fevers suck, but they are at least somewhat manageable, thanks to the wonders of acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen (whichever medicine works best for you). And therefore I was able to manage two and a half hours at work this afternoon/evening, which consisted basically of standing at the counter and also doing some light inventory and other paperwork.

Diarrhea, on the other hand...

Yeah, I'm not going to talk about it, except to say it started this afternoon and has gotten worse all evening. Beyond that, I will just sit here and be disgusted by my own body.

And maybe take another immodium, since the first two don't see to have done ANY DAMN GOOD AT ALL. *frowns disapprovingly at pills*

I am beginning to suspect this whole mess may be some form of food poisoning from the Japanese restaurant Susan and I ate lunch at on Thursday. That certainly fits the symptoms -- exhaustion, fever/chills, and diarrhea/cramps -- better than anything else. Apparently the suggested treatment is basically to keep hydrated (yay soup! yay gingerale!) and rest until I feel better. Bleh.

Unfortunately I have to drag myself to work again tomorrow, because, AGAIN, there is nobody who can cover my whole shift. I have permission to arrive an hour late and leave an hour early, but that's still a six-hour shift, and if my symptoms continue in the same degree as now... Well. Bad times all around. :-(