As humans, we experience life differently and some of us have challenges in life that make it harder and sometimes life just blindsides you with some random thing like illness.

From Oct. 11 to Oct. 19, everything has felt off.

On Oct. 11, my brother and sister both came home from college. What fun! We go out for dinner; I eat almost my entire dinner, it okay. I have a mini internal panic attack because I felt claustrophobic, not unusual for me especially since it’s a very crowded and loud restaurant that we are in. I excuse myself to go to the bathroom and take some deep breaths in there and enjoy the quietness for a bit to calm down. It works, I go back to the table, my family is waiting for the server to come back with our card so we can leave. We run some errands and go home.

Oct. 12, I wake up with a headache and feeling a little under the weather. Not unusual for me. It is cold and flu season so everyone is a little sick plus I work with kids. I don’t blame my kids, but as many know they cough everywhere because they haven’t been taught the cough in your elbow trick yet. Also, I have allergies that go haywire when the weather and temperatures are all over the place. I’m used to feeling like this is October. I assume tomorrow will go it; if not, Tuesday at the latest. 

Oct. 13, wake up still not feeling good. Take some Claritin D to just get some medicine in me to help fight off whatever I have come down with. It’s also the day we are having my brother and cousin’s family party since they are both home this weekend. The party is at my house, great! A bunch of people at my house and I’m not feeling the best. The party is going on, I’m chatting with people, eat some pizza and then leave to go hang out in my sister’s room where one of my cats is napping. I use him as a distraction for the anxiety from the family party going on downstairs. My brother and cousin open their presents, we have cake, everyone goes home and I can relax.

Oct. 14, No school and no work. I’m feeling a lot better, I assume it’s over or at least tomorrow I will be healthy again. I celebrate my friend Amanda’s birthday since hers was the 13th. She comes over and we go to the mall. We get lunch, chat, look at stores, and get ice cream. We go back to my house; we watch some Netflix and chat more. She realizes it’s late and goes home. We say our goodbyes and hug. I do some homework and then relax a bit.

Oct. 15, wake up for my morning 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. shift. Have a bit of a running nose, it’s fine. Blow my nose, get dressed, eat some breakfast, drink some juice, brush my teeth and drive to work. My throat tickles at 7:20 a.m. I do a quick cough, my voice gone. I cough again it comes back, okay it happens. I continue my shift; I finish it making sure all the kids got on the bus; I drive home and take a nap. I wake up at 1 p.m. groggy. I took more medicine just to get over the last of it. Go to my afternoon shift from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. I feel fine the whole shift. Come home and eat some dinner, do more homework and go to bed.

Oct. 16, I’m feeling better again. Do morning shift again, come home and take a nap, go to the afternoon shift. Do more homework, thinking about stories, go to bed.

Oct. 17, I wake up feeling like death. I cough so hard I almost vomit on my bedroom floor. Everything hurts. I can barely open my eyes and the urge to cry lingers in my mind for a minute. I decided I can’t do today. Driving to school, trying to find parking, go to classes for six hours, be around people, and sit in traffic on the way home. Too much stress and I already had two panic attacks this week. I chalk the lingering illness to stress and anxiety; I decided I need a sick and mental health day. I spend the whole day napping and chatting with my mom while she paints the kitchen. I take more medicine just in case. 

Oct. 18, wake up feeling better but I can still feel it in my throat. I gargle some warm salt water; it helps, but it’s nasty. I pick my sister up from college since it’s her colleges off weekend, last weekend was my brother’s. My sister was only home for the party. I’m progressively getting better. I bring her home, she unpacks, we make some lunch and watch television. 

Oct. 19, it still hasn’t gone away. I still feel it in the back of my throat. I gargle warmer saltwater hoping it will officially go away. I spend the day with my dad hoping getting out of the house will make me feel better. It kinda does, I don’t remember coughing. I ate some dinner, do some homework and go to bed hoping I will be better tomorrow.