What to do about being sick

I am sick. Quite sick. I have a fever. It’s twice as bad because it broke yesterday morning only to come back yesterday afternoon. It’s made me tense and grouchy and nervous. I think it comes of living alone, but illness always sort of freaks me out. Even though I get good and sick at least once per year.

This one followed a pretty typical pattern for me. I was in DC last week. I got too little sleep most nights and had a little drink of some kind each and every one. That’s always a recipe for illness for me. I was not meant to drink daily. So now, I am brought low by a fever.

So I have had two days out from work. I’ve spent that time mostly sleeping. Now, I can’t really sleep anymore if I wanted to. I am totally beyond any sort of sleep. I’ve just slept as much as any one person can do. Since I have to stay home, should I use the time to do more creative work? Or does doing that mean that I will prolong the illness? My focus when I’m sick is doing everything I can to get over it. That’s priority #1. I just want to be out of the woods.

That said, I remember one of my worst illnesses during my first year in Washington, DC. That’s when I first started drawing comics a little. I laid there in bed and drew the second page of comics that I’ve ever drawn. I don’t think it made me stay in any longer or shorter than I otherwise would have if I hadn’t drawn that page. So maybe my focus is all wrong?

I have to say, though… I know a number of people who follow the “work your way through it” approach to illness. Most of them are, I’d say, on balance, healthier than me, but maybe they just have a more solid constitution?

Or maybe I should do more writing right now?