Sick and at work

Currently, there is a fear of the H1N1 virus (also known as the swine flu) spreading, and there are public service announcements regarding the availability of flu vaccine, and how to stop the spread of germs. Obviously, one is to stay home when one is feeling sick. If you're sick, you should stay home, otherwise, you spread your germs and everyone else gets sick. This in turn leads to decreased productivity at work as more "conscientious" folks call in sick. Yet so many people still go to work. Why?

Besides the obvious answers that many can't afford to take time off sick, many of us are working moms who get more rest at work. Really. Before kids, if I was feeling under the weather, I could take a day off and spend it in bed, resting. Now, no can do. Because if I was at home, I would not be in bed. I would be up an about - doing laundry, taking someone to school, cleaning out the fridge, preparing meals, wiping bums, fetching snacks and drinks for little mouths, dusting or vacuuming, putting away folded laundry...there is no rest at home anymore. And even if I could stay in bed, the kids would be in bed with me, wanting a story read, or simply wanting to hang out.

So, really I do get more rest at work. I just take it down a notch, hole up in the office with work, slave away at a slower pace, drink lots of hot fluids and keep the kleenex box nearby.

And honestly? I think it takes less energy to deal with "work" than the kids and home when I'm feeling this tired. It's been a few nights since I've been able to sleep for more than an hour at night. Aisling's croup requires her to sleep in an upright position, and she wants to be held. Her breathing is very loud - so much so that I used earplugs to muffle the sound one night.

My husband has managed to sleep through it all. Without ear plugs. How he can sleep through a restless toddler in bed who is coughing (or rather, barking) and whimpering in pain is quite a feat. Which incidentally, provides me with the grounds for my argument that a 4th child (as Devlin is requesting) will not disrupt his sleep. If he can sleep through all this. And it's not like he's getting up to nurse.