The Observer, January 25, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 14
Worst Case Scenario: My sick day
This week, I took a sick day. Doing that makes me nervous. Sometimes I feel like, as a student, I have not yet reached the academic and career maturity to merit taking a day off. Especially so soon after winter break, I feel slightly guilty and uncomfortable staying in bed rather than going to work. Maybe that's because my sick-day behavior is very similar to my vacation-day behavior. In both situations, I sleep well into the afternoon, slothfully watch movies, and try to find other people to make my meals. None of these activities are appropriate during class or work (at least not when there's a possibility of getting caught), and when they're not enjoyed, it's even worse.
It's easy to feel torn when grades, jobs, or even just pride are on the line. Is it really worth it to take that sick day? As much as you might want to just stay in and sleep, it can be terribly tempting to just suck it up and appear OK. The only real problem with this is that you are not OK. When you are sick, you must acknowledge it, or risk the consequences. When I was a freshman, I ignored my bronchitis when it didn't improve after medication. A week-and-a-half later, I ended up in the emergency room with pneumonia. Much as I needed it, that week of forced bed rest wasn't that enjoyable either. If there's one lesson I learned from this experience, it's that a sick day now can save a lot of distress later.
In my customary spirit of advice-giving, I'd like to offer a few ideas for the sick college student. It's always a bummer to get sick, but never more so than when you're far away from home and have class and extracurricular responsibilities up to your eyeballs. Hopefully my hard-won life lessons will spare future ill students my unfortunate mistakes.
Create a personal first aid kit. It's a hassle to put together a first aid kit, but it's more of a hassle to get the runs in the middle of the night and not have anything to do about it. This doesn't have to be a family-sized 72-hour kit, but you should endeavor to keep over-the-counter pain killers, antihistamines, decongestants, anti-nausea pills, and anti-diarrheal medications on hand.
Go to the doctor. Students can make appointments as needed with Health Services, and if your body feels out of whack, there's nothing wrong with taking some time out to get the medical attention it needs.
Take care of yourself before you get sick. Nearly everyone could stand to exercise more, but your diet could also be preventing you from achieving peak health. If peak health is a bit of a stretch, start small. Try adding a few fruits and vegetables to your diet each day, get plenty of dairy, and be sure to keep yourself hydrated. Don't forget to get enough sleep.
Don't feel bad about feeling bad. When you're sick, the last thing you need is to feel guilty about it. It is OK to take some time for your physical health – rest and recovery will only increase your ability to do well when you feel better. You're a student, but even though you've yet to reach career stability, you should never put day-to-day routine above your health.
If you're sick, you're sick, and wishing you weren't can't make you any better. Sometimes sucking it up and taking a break is the best medicine.
