It only took four days.

Four. Painful. Days.

I give up. I surrender.

I wasn’t feeling well last week…stuffy head, runny nose, and a terrible sore throat.  The minute I feel a sore through coming on, I pop a few antibiotics and it’s usually taken care of..boom!

And so it began—me poppin’ amoxicillin by the handful (well, not quite handfuls J, but you get the idea.

And, nothing was happening. It wasn’t even touching this sore throat. It felt like I was getting sicker by the minute.

I am an esthetician by trade. My work is up close and personal with my clients. I can’t afford to be sick. And, the company I work for…ahem…I own the company I work for…doesn’t pay sick time.

So, I mottled along on pills picked up in Mexico and Advil Cold and Sinus (my go-to for everything.)

On the fourth day, I couldn’t take it anymore. It hurt every single time I swallowed, and you don’t realize how many times a day you swallow until your tonsils are screaming each and every time.

A client suggested I try the Minute Clinic at CVS. She said it was really convenient and I could get in within 30 minutes.

She was speaking my language.

I certainly didn’t have time to be sick, and I most definitely didn’t have time to sit in a doctor’s office and wait to see a doctor.

Surrender

I succumbed.

I event texted a few clients whom were scheduled for appointments with me the following day, advising them that there was a slim chance I might cancel all appointments.

Now, I have to give props to the Minute Clinic. This place is FABULOUS! I was in and out of there in less than an hour, and I even had my prescriptions in hand.

And, I only received a minor scolding for popping “amoxicillin” that was purchased in Mexico.

It turns out that the sore throat was not strep throat or anything having to do with an infection. It was caused by nasal drip, and I had extreme allergies.

There was no need for the illegal antibiotics I had been slamming all week and killing all of my gut flora at the same time.

But that’s just how I roll.

Well, let me rephrase that.

That’s just how I used to roll.

Any sign of sickness would cause me to

  1. Ignore it, thinking it would magically disappear with a few extra shots of vodka straight out of the bottle.
  2. Take some expired medication I found in in my basket of prescription bottles—putting a band-aid on it.

I NEVER wanted to take the time to book an appointment and see a doctor. I mean I was busy, don’t you know. I was busy planning out my day and exactly when I would get my next drink.

I did not have time to be sick. And, I did not have an inkling about self-care.

Are you kidding me?

Self-care?

Self-care is for the weak, the pansies, the whiners.

I am strong. I don’t need nobody or no one. Self-care…psh…

There’s nothing a bottle of vodka and a bag of Doritos can’t fix.

Folks…I am not exaggerating here. I literally lived off vodka and a few chips for the last six months of my drinking career. I was wafer thin and in poor health.

Self-care allows me to take better care of others.

It’s been close to four and a half years since my last drink, and I am slowly learning about self-care.

I am learning that I can’t be of maximum use to others if I am not in my best shape (mentally, physically and emotionally).

How can I take care of my clients at work if I am sick, run down or stressed out?

Self-care is not selfish. It is critical to giving.

It ONLY took four days. That’s a vast improvement for this “tough-as-nails,” “I-don’t-need-no-stinking-doctor” kind of girl.

Oh, that’s right.

That’s a girl I once knew. She doesn’t live here anymore.

(Stay tuned for part-two of “Self-Care is Critical to Being of Maximum Use to Others” in tomorrow’s post.)