It Turns Out I’m Not Invincible After All

When you eat well and exercise regularly, you begin to feel like a well oiled machine. That is exactly how I’ve been feeling for the past few weeks. I’ve had a few aches and pains but overall things have been great. Even when my wife and daughter came down sick, I was just fine. It was as almost as if I was invincible.

Let me be the first to tell you, after the two days I’ve had, I’m far from invincible. Maybe I pushed myself a little too hard. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the case, it was a reminder that you have to take care of yourself.

It all started on Friday morning. I woke up for work and just didn’t feel right. There wasn’t much I could do about it, so I got ready for work and started my day as usual. Throughout the day at work my stomach began to bother me. A little nausea, a little discomfort, and occasionally a little pain. Not a big deal, I’ll just press on…

After work I stopped over at Calveressi’s Barber Shop for a quick trim. Afterwards I decided to swing by my old house to check on things (it is on the market and we’re having a hell of a time selling it – it has been a disaster and a story for another time).

When I saw that the grass was about a foot tall, I decided mowing it couldn’t wait. At this point it was Noon and the heat of the day was coming on. Part way through the job I started to feel dehydrated. Dry mouth, scratchy throat, and a slight headache building. I grabbed a bottle of water out of my car and took a quick break. By the time I was finished mowing the hilly half-acre I was soaked in sweat and feeling pretty bad.

I drove home with the air conditioner on full blast and had a light lunch with my wife and daughter. Not long after eating I had to go and lay down. I wound up in bed for the night at 4:30pm. It was a rough night. I wound up feverish – shivering under a comforter, then hot and sweaty. This went on all night with all the wonderful things that go along with a stomach bug.

Saturday wasn’t a whole lot better. The fever was gone but my stomach was a mess. I tried moving around, working in the garden for a bit, but that was short lived. I went back to bed for a couple of hours.

I took some medication in hopes that I could attend a Pig Roast at Sir Stogies later in the afternoon. I was a no-show and stayed home. It is 8:22pm on Saturday night as I type this and I’m just now starting to feel better.

The storm seems to have passed and I’ve come to the reality that I’m not invincible. If I was coming down with something, working in the sun for a couple of hours was probably a bad idea. Living a healthier lifestyle means more than working out and eating better. You have to pay attention to your body and give it the rest it needs or you’ll wind up on your ass.