Like the Weather

Today I am sick. My nose is running, my face hurts from the sinus pressure, my throat is sore, it hurts to blink, there is much sneezing, and my scalp is sensitive to the touch. On the plus side, I don’t seem to have a fever.

(Quick side note: It is a pet peeve of mine when someone removes a thermometer from a child’s ear, looks at it and says, “He doesn’t have a temperature.” That’s not possible!)

I have always resisted the notion that fluctuations in the weather cause illness. I don’t have any research to back it up, but prolonged cold weather, or cold followed by hot followed by cold, can’t possibly make someone sick. Can it? I always thought that things floating in the air- allergens, germs, what have you- were what caused illness. But this week, I’ve decided to give up on my not-well-thought-out hypothesis and go with the weather thing whole-heartedly. After all, it was 30 degrees Monday night and 72 degrees Wednesday afternoon. And by Wednesday night, I was sick. Coincidence? I think not.

I wish I were at home, in bed under the covers where the temperature is well-regulated, but instead I’m at work. I had things that had to be done, and despite my generous allowance of sick days, I showed up to do those things. As I’ve walked around coughing and wiping my nose on the back of my hand, I’ve gotten some dirty looks. But hey, what are these people worried about? I’ve got the window in my office closed. The way I see it, if I don’t let the weather in, they’re safe. For today, at least. Tomorrow it’s supposed to rain, and I can't be responsible for what all that dampness might do to the general health of the office.