Paranoia or Self-Preservation?
I’ve officially morphed into a germ-a-phobe, with a slight twist of paranoid hermit thrown in.
With only 5 days left until my departure for the sunny Caribbean, I’m living with the overwhelming fear of becoming sick. I’ve taken to screening my co-workers and visitors to my house. Just like at the hospital, if anyone looks or sounds sick, access to my vicinity is denied.
Yesterday’s telephone conversation with my mother-in-law went like this:
MIL: Can we stop in around 10:00? I have some photos we would like you to send to Terry in Ireland.
Me: Hmmm. I guess. How have you been feeling?
MIL: Fine. Why?
Me: Have you or Bob had a cold, fever, chills or aches?
MIL: No. Why?
Me: Are you sure?
MIL: Well, we had had some aches, but we are 69, so some aches are bound to happen. Why?
Me: Have to been around anyone that’s sick? You haven’t been to the Dr.’s office in a while have you? How about the bank?
MIL: What the hell are you asking me all these questions for? Have you been drinking?
Me: Okay, I’ll see you at 10:00.
MIL: Do you want me to stop at Tim Horton’s and bring you a coffee and a donut?
Me: Hell no!
Normally I don’t fret about too much about anything, but with all the media hype of H1N1, seasonal flu, lysteriosis, salmonella, mad cow, dengue fever and god knows what else – I’ve become afraid to go out in public or quite obviously allow anyone that’s been in a public place into the sanctity of my home.
This too shall pass…in about 15 days (give or take).
With only 5 days left until my departure for the sunny Caribbean, I’m living with the overwhelming fear of becoming sick. I’ve taken to screening my co-workers and visitors to my house. Just like at the hospital, if anyone looks or sounds sick, access to my vicinity is denied.
Yesterday’s telephone conversation with my mother-in-law went like this:
MIL: Can we stop in around 10:00? I have some photos we would like you to send to Terry in Ireland.
Me: Hmmm. I guess. How have you been feeling?
MIL: Fine. Why?
Me: Have you or Bob had a cold, fever, chills or aches?
MIL: No. Why?
Me: Are you sure?
MIL: Well, we had had some aches, but we are 69, so some aches are bound to happen. Why?
Me: Have to been around anyone that’s sick? You haven’t been to the Dr.’s office in a while have you? How about the bank?
MIL: What the hell are you asking me all these questions for? Have you been drinking?
Me: Okay, I’ll see you at 10:00.
MIL: Do you want me to stop at Tim Horton’s and bring you a coffee and a donut?
Me: Hell no!
Normally I don’t fret about too much about anything, but with all the media hype of H1N1, seasonal flu, lysteriosis, salmonella, mad cow, dengue fever and god knows what else – I’ve become afraid to go out in public or quite obviously allow anyone that’s been in a public place into the sanctity of my home.
This too shall pass…in about 15 days (give or take).
“It's no longer a question of staying healthy. It's a question of finding a sickness you like.” Jackie Mason
Comments
This one's mine: It's no longer disease control, it's crowd control.
Stay healthy!
@ MJ - Agreed. I'm totally o.k. with being paranoid when holidays are on the line.
@ Brian - I don't want to look TOO obvious when I'm going through airport security - they might not let me on board.
@ CrazyCris - I couldn't handle not being able to dive for a whole week, especially with everyone else around me doing it.
@ K13 - When it comes to family and friends, I would suck it up. My son was sick last week and I took care of him. That's what moms are supposed to do. I would have been ticked if I were you.
@ Sylvia - LOL! That is hilarious!
@Uncorked - I leave in 3 days, 8 hours, 14 minutes. Going south has become an addiction - I can't go without it for more than 6 months at a time...