Being Sick

I currently have a rather bad cold. The achy, sneezy, sore-throat-y, stuffy kind. As a consequence, I have essentially been lying in bed, doing absolutely nothing all day. Only just now did I think to comment on my illness and why it isn't any fun at all; perhaps it'll help me get it out of my system.

Being sick is something of a double-edged sword: there are benefits, but there are also major consequences, and I'm afraid that the latter edge is much longer, sharper, and more deadly than the former. Getting sick, for instances, gives you an excuse to not go to class (or work, in some of my readers' cases); however, all the work you missed out on will be waiting for you when you get back. While it is nice to have a temporary vacation, I have now missed three classes thanks to this illness. One of them is three hours long and meets only once a week, so I'll be scrambling to obtain the notes from my fellow classmates before next time. Another is science-- one of my weaknesses, as it were. Not having the biology of humans explained to me by my biology of humans professor will be a severe handicap during the next quiz. Besides, is it really a vacation when you spend it sneezing, blowing your nose, sleeping fitfully, and wishing that you were at your classes?

Another benefit is that you're not really expected to do anything when you're sick; in fact, you can often get people to do things for you. Side-effects, however, include feeling useless, frustrating your friends and relatives, and not really having a choice in the matter anyway-- in my instance, I really can't do anything, so being able to potentially have my roommate fetch me a sandwich (no matter how satisfying that would be under normal circumstances) doesn't have quite the same appeal.

When you're sick, it's often a good idea to repeatedly rehydrate yourself. In my case, this means being able to drink all the water, sports drinks, and soda that I like. The downside to this is that... well... I'm tired of drinking. I'm on something like my fifteenth glass of water, and I've never found taking another sip to be a more unappealing option than I do now. Especially since I have to run to the bathroom after every few drinks, which means exerting more effort than I'd care to, which means getting more tired, which means drinking more...

So, yeah. All in all, being sick just isn't fun. The bad far outweighs the good in most circumstances, and for every potential benefit, there's always a consequence waiting around the corner.

The Rundown
Convenience: 1/10. Unless you need an excuse to avoid a funeral or something, getting sick is definitely an inconvenience.
Fun Factor: 1/10. The fun of being able to lay around in bed and do nothing fades very quickly.
Appeal: 0/10. The idea of coughing, sneezing, constantly blowing my nose, aching all over, and not being able to stand up straight is not an appealing one under any circumstances.
Usefulness: 0/10. In my current state, I am not capable of doing much.
Overall: 0.5/10. Wash your hands. Take your vitamins. Eat your veggies. Do whatever it takes to avoid getting sick like I am.

Update: Since yesterday, I have missed four classes thanks to my cold, which is better today but not completely gone.