Denial: It’s the end of the day and you feel wiped out. Although you can’t remember doing much of anything, the tired feeling indicates otherwise so you assume you must have done lots of things, had a productive day, and that is why you don’t have any energy. Plus, “you never get sick” so there is no way THAT would be the reason.

Anger: You wake the next morning and your throat is a bit raw from the nasal drip all night long. You curse that your morning pastry, banana, juice, and espresso do not taste as you expected. You are adamant that this will not slow you down so you get your day started and rush out the door. The morning traffic is just a bit bothersome and there isn’t anything good on the radio. By the end of the day, your throat is now a bit scratchy and you resurrect your annual mantra “I REFUSE TO GET SICK!”. The commute home is even worse than you can remember. Dinner is not very appealing as it has no taste and you get huffy with your spouse, kids, and the dog when they suggest you might be coming down with something.

Bargaining: You wake with a completely congested nose and sound like a bull frog with you try to croak out your morning greetings. I stagger into the shower and just stand there. You figure, the shower will make you feel better – you CAN beat this. You start to list your symptoms. You’d gladly take a few extra days of nose and throat if you just don’t get the “heard it from the bleachers cough”. You’re day is flexible so you take a late start out the door and stop by the pharmacy …

you:  “I need something for my cold”.

pharmacist:  “these will help with the symptoms but the cold must run it’s course”.

you: (This can’t be right). “Ah, come on, there must be SOMETHING to knock this out.”

you: (dejected, you walk to the counter with a bottle of “nighttime stuff” and another of “daytime stuff”, pay and leave.)

Depression: The next day, you wake with a cough. You nose is still congested so every time you cough, you’re head feels like it will explode. The “nighttime stuff” fogged your brain so now you think it is the weekend but sadly you still have two more days at work. You add aspirin to your morning breakfast along with the “daytime stuff” which makes your morning juice taste like a tin can and your blessed espresso now resembles road tar. Just then you sneeze and even before the big event, you know how much it will hurt. You brace foe impact but it’s no good, the sneeze into the congestion and the resulting head drumming is debilitating. Your equilibrium is shot and quick movement is unwise. You walk very slowly to the bathroom and let your shower last a good long time. At work, you are miserable. You can’t get anything done. Everyone tells you to go home. You finally concede.

Acceptance: You are sick. You have a cold. There, you’ve said it. You take a hot bath before going to bed – hours ahead of schedule. Organized on the bedside stand, you plan out your night – “bedtime stuff” with aspirin; another dose ready when you inevitably wake up in the middle of the night; skip the “daytime stuff” as you will be staying home tomorrow; mega dose of vitamin C with aspirin and “nighttime stuff” with the morning juice and banana but skip the espresso; then right back to bed. This will be your routine for three more days. Then you will start to find you way out the other side of this unalterable experience.

You assure yourself this was all a fluke and the events which brought you here area once in a lifetime occurrence. You mentally assure yourself,  “I WILL NEVER GET SICK AGAIN” .. denial ?