If it wasn’t swine flu then it was a particularly nasty cold. It may have started last Sunday but I was recovering from a hangover the night before. On Monday and Tuesday I had meetings in Stockport but I felt pretty ropy. I made it to BJJ on Monday and took my brother out for dinner in Mcr on Tuesday, but afterwards when I got back to Leeds I was so wiped out that I got a taxi home and more or less went straight to bed. Got up at one point and checked my symptoms on the NHS checker, and when I got to the end it said “you probably do have this bug, here’s the code to get your drugs, and now go back to bed.” I set the alarm as usual for the next day but when I got up I knew there was no way I’d be working. It didn’t feel particularly intense but I had no energy left at all. One of the worst bits about being ill is when you’ve got to make the call to work. Can’t do it too early otherwise there will be no one in the office (sometimes voicemail just isn’t an option) and you can’t sound too perky, for obvious reasons. As well as the lack of energy I had a sore throat, cough, blocked up nose and ears and not much appetite. I made a point of going out for food and the papers but that was about all I could manage for the day
By Friday I was seriously bored and yesterday I had my mum over for lunch at the Brewery Tap (great cheese and beer available) and to watch the new Harry Potter film. Today was TV, a hot bath and my usual 10 mile bike ride just to get back into the swing of things. It’s a route I know very well and even at its furthest point it’s less than 4 miles away from home so it’s not too far if I need to get back. Back to the grind tomorrow but I’m working from home rather than travelling over to Stockport. I’m not quite recovered yet (I find colds and similar take a while to go away) but I think I’ve had enough time off now.