Back to work, maybe a day early

I think I found new backers for my "one person-one illness" plan: my co-workers ... at least my intern.

I went back to work today for the first time in nearly two weeks. I worked from home most days so as to spare others my noisy and nasty expulsions.

Things went mostly OK in the morning as my codeine cough syrup kept problems to a minimum.

The one problem was because I was in my manual chair, which I used because I wasn't sure I'd get a ride home in the van. I was going to the bathroom when I coughed. This caused my legs to lift up and my feet fell off the footrests and backward. My body fell forward. My hands still held the wheels, but I could not sit up and I was a little stuck. If I moved my hands to help me sit up, I'd fall. If I did nothing, I'd eventually fall. Finally, using muscles I forgot I had, I managed to pull myself back up, but I remember thinking as I was sitting there thinking I wad going to fall: This is going to hurt.

No one saw that, but late in the afternoon, I got a tickle and could not clear my throat, especially not with the dainty coughs and nose-blowing I was doing in public.

My intern, who we have established was like in first grade when I graduated from college, suggested I leave early.

I did and once I was able to blow and cough with reckless abandon, I was fine.