Adventures of the Sick and Sickly....

So it's Thursday August 4th at 11:38am. I should be sitting at my desk at Euroffice opening post and entering checks into the ledger, but no, i'm home sick (ok, well i'm at Matt's sick). Backing up, I started my job at Euroffice monday. They're a company which supplies office supplies to companies. I'm working in the accounts department there. Mostly opening mail (Monday i opened 119 letters with checks in them, 45 without and 4 pieces of junk mail) and then sorting checks, entering them into the ledger, etc... I have to say it's honestly killing my love of recieving and opening mail, although using an electric letter opener is kind of fun. The office isn't too big and mostly consists of all temps (i think theres like 8 permanent staff there). Everyone seems friendly and i can't beat the commute to Vauxhall, which if i leave my house at 8:30am and take the tube i am easily to work by 9am assuming the tube is happy and running normally.

However, starting that very monday i started to feel quite ill. Typical Lindsay illness (harsh barking cough, congestion, etc...). I was quite suprised to have this happen given that i've not really been going out. Hell i spent my Saturday night in eating take away, naming the countries and capitals of the world with Amy and kniting! I'm not really drinking, and taking a multi vitamin every day. So realizing i was on a downward spiral i started to self medicate with old prescriptions and hot tea, lemon and honey. Tuesday, i was even worse now in severe pain feeling as though i'd swallowed some razor blades. Wednesday i got up and despite feeling wretched i went to work again. They looked at me and my boss realized i was so sick and told me to go home and see a doctor.

Now the UK has a nationalized healthcare and medicine system. When i lived here last time i qualified for it and despite my bitching about having to wait to see a doctor, it was great (go back many posts to read about this). However, this time as i'm here under 6 months, i do not qualify for NHS treatment. D'oh. So i decided to go to the medical clinic that's walk in. After disputing my status as a student to get the student rate (the student rate is £39, the normal rate is £59 and appearently only UK students normally count. Super thankfully, IU's student ID's are valid for 5 years so until May 2006 i have a valid student ID) i managed to convince the woman behind the desk to give me the student rate and finally saw a doctor. Normal body tempeture is 98.6 F. In celsius i learned yesterday it was 36.5 C. Neither really mattered as my temp was 39 (for you non Celsius people that's 102 F and damn hot). And blah blah. Sinus infection, upper respiratory infection, wheezing. I'll spare you the gory details save i'm quite sick. Another £30 later for some antibibotics i start to head home, except home is rather difficult to get to as Brixton tube is shut and trains to Herne Hill aren't running. So i go and crash at Matt's who's currently taking care of me.

I woke up this morning expecting to feel worlds better from the anti biotics only to be serverely disappointed. Still hacking coughs, running a fever (who knows how high), however i consider the ability to breathe through my nose to be a VAST improvement. Anyways, i called my boss who promptly and incredibly understandingly told me to stay home today. So i'm checking my email and going back to bed with Bill Bryson (may i recommend his book, "A Short History of Nearly Everything" (as recommended by my mother) to everyone).

Well back to bed for me.

Ill hugs and cooties,
Lindsay