someone speak sense to me

[rm]

I have a cold and I feel like crap. Because this is the first time I've ben sick since I stopped eating gluten and it's been a long time (for a change) since I've been sick, it's sort of wigging me out. I've forgotten what it feels like to feel like crap and I'm miserable and achey (which layered over the day to day achiness that fencing brings is quite a bit).

Here is the dilemma:

Worldview #1 says that if I'm well enough to leave the apartment tomorrow I must go to fencing. After all, one can't say "I can't duel today, I have a cold." Also, more comprehensibly to people who aren't me -- shit happens, and if I am intending to be competing a year from now, learning to do this even if I feel like shit (jetlag!) is not unreasonable.

Worldview #2 says "For the love of god, you feel like crap. Sleep!"

I won't make the decision until tomorrow of course, perhaps not even until late in the day. Not sure if I'm looking for permission to take a day off or permission to push myself even harder than usual. Do know I'll be physically restless and irritated the rest of the week without class tomorrow though, even if I do feel like crap.

Comments

Rules For Determining Rest or Action

[newwaytowrite.livejournal.com]

1. Is this cold happening only from the chin or so up? Such as fuzzy thinking, nasal congestion? If so go take action.
2. If this cold/bug is in your lungs you certainly don't want course it through your system. If so stay home.
3. If you are unsure if it is at the stage 2, have a fever and haven't been kind to your sleep bank...don't go...you are doing yourself no favours and those people at fencing really don't want to have this debate with themselves prior to the class after tomoorrow.

Doctor Newwaytowrite has advised...do what is best for your health.

[winterknight.livejournal.com]

Movement is good for illness, if you're mildly ill. If you're moderately ill, you could take it a little easy. But moving will flush out your lymphatic system. You can balance that against the strain on your immune system and the exposure to other illnesses. I'm the kind of person who would skip work and sleep all day and go to fencing. I think fencing is good for you and if you haven't had a fever or been vomiting for 24 hours before hand, I would just make sure not to sneeze on anyone.

Sleep well. Hot showers and lots of vitamin C and take decongestant and an anti-inflammatory. Feel better soon.

*flips off mom-mode*

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I say if you feel the sort of sick where going to fencing would be icky and not fun, but no worse than that, than go. If you're the sort of sick where going to fencing would mean getting even sicker and spending the next day (or days) completely out of it, don't go.

Also, in a completely self-centered thought, I hope I didn't catch anything from you. I don't feel sick yet.

[rm.livejournal.com]

You're probably fine then. You actually sleep, yeah? this had been threatening for weeks. If you were gonna have con crud, you'd have it by now.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Well, that's good to know. I suppose spending so much time asleep has some advantage.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I'm actually aiming to get 8 hours tonight.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Heh. I love that a normal length of time is such an accomplishment for you.

[lllvis.livejournal.com]

I'd advise not fencing. If you're miserable and achy, much of any kind of activity likely isn't going to help things any, and runs a good risk of making you feel worse. I know you want to, and can justify it if you can leave your apartment, but hold off...this way you'll hopefully get better and miss less fencing overall!

Hope you feel better soon...

[rm.livejournal.com]

What's funny is I used to not be able to funciton on less than ten hours of sleep. Of course the sleep deprivation might explain my current pursuit of nearly everything.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Maybe you were saving up sleep earlier!

[saltbox.livejournal.com]

I tend to think of things from a communitarian view rather than an individualistic view, and if that's not your thing, then my advice might not be particularly relevant. But what I might also consider in your position is how contagious I might be. Because even if I don't feel particularly sick, if I think I might be contagious (which is usually only in the initial stages of a cold), then I might avoid going fencing and being in close enough contact with people to possibly spread my cold.

I guess even if you think of it from a more individualistic point of view, though, one could also argue that one's self-interest weighs against infecting others, because that would damper the overall training environment. And that one would want to be treated the same way by others--after all, I know I've gotten colds from enough other people at gyms/work/whatever that might've been avoided if they just stayed home and recovered.

[xpioti.livejournal.com]

If you feel like feverish crap, fencing might actually help. As I understand it, a fever is your body's attempt to kill off crap using heat; fencing gives you a controlled way of elevating your temperature (controlled because if you start to wobble, someone's hopefully going to take your sword away and make you sit down) and probably makes you feel good on other levels, both of which can only help, no? Just be very, very sure to keep yourself well hydrated. (Bearing in mind, of course, that I'm no medical professional by any stripe. :})

Good luck! Get better soon!

[labellerose.livejournal.com]

Worldview #3 says "Um, How contagious are you likely to be?" Jetlag isn't catching, after all, and someone else at the salle may have concurrent health issues that whatever you have Would Not Help.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm probbaly less contagious now than I was MOnday when I went and didn't realize quite how awful I felt.