call me when you lose a limb

I've never been part of a "well you have the sick leave, so take it" mentality. We called no blood no foul. And usually if there was blood, it just meant you hadn't gotten a big enough band-aid the first time around. We went to the doctor, sure, but that was just to get instructions or meds that legitimized not taking it easy. Pop the pill and call it a day.

I've played basketball tournaments that required a trashcan at the end of the bench for vomit. Still recovering from pneumonia when team camp rolled around? Suck it up and make sure to have extra fruit with breakfast. Broken wrist from rollerblading at the park? Wait a couple hours and brace it with the phone book from the drawer, cause we have to finish this rink session first. In all my time growing up I can only remember my dad taking 1 sick day from school, and that was because he threw his back out and literally could not stand up.

So now that I have my own authority to call the shots, I still find myself reverting back to the "fake it till you make it" approach to self-care. Granted I'm much more prone to using my union-contracted sick leave (thanks mono), but I just can't legitimize "taking it easy" when it comes to illness (laziness is another story...). I've taught more than once with a significant fever, and now tomorrow will hit room 215 trying to ignore the unsightly but harmless rash on my arms and legs resulting from a reaction to strep medication. Nothing my navy blazer can't solve.