It’s that time of year again when what goes around, comes around. What do I mean by that? I mean a lot of people, including me, have been sick.

A couple of weeks ago I woke up with post-nasal drip and a raging headache. It felt like the flu. Ironically, the day before I had gone to Rite Aid to pick up some medicine and saw the sign for flu shots. Luckily, through our company’s insurance, they are free for us. I thought about getting it then, but I was in the drive-through and was in a hurry.

The next day I felt worse. What I thought might be the flu turned into what was a sinus and ear infection. Dr. David Majure put me on a Z-pack, which typically does the trick. After all, this is not my first rodeo with sinus and ear infections.

After I started taking the antibiotic I started to feel better. After a few days, I felt well enough to take a shower and sat up almost all day. I thought the tide on the sickness was turning, I desperately wanted to go to the museum’s annual Halloween party at the Old North State Winery, but I was quarantined to the house. I even checked out the webcams on Main Street to see how busy the street around the winery was. I was purely depressed.

The next day I woke up with a drippy nose and everyone knows that nothing cures a drippy nose like Sudafed. I don’t like taking it because it speeds me up, but a drippy nose leads to nothing good.

I couldn’t find any of the little red pills I’m used to taking, but I did find a box of the Sudafed multi-symptom. I was desperate to stop the nose from dripping, so I took one. Thirty minutes later, I turned into the Tasmanian devil. I was dog sitting at the time and our two dogs and the four little ones I was looking after all started barking and going crazy in the living room. So I turned into my school-teacher mother and told them all to lay down and be quiet. And, I meant business. No joke. Even the boyfriend was scared. I was wired like nobody’s business. I washed eight loads of laundry and cleaned the whole house. The problem with that is that it gave me a false sense of being well again. But in all actuality, not so much.

Unfortunately, after spending time outside with no hat, gloves or scarf on, I had a major relapse. I went back to the doctor and was put on “the big girl dose” of antibiotics and something for nausea. Hopefully, this round will take and I’ll be good as gold.

No one likes being sick. It’s often said that, “I’d rather be at work feeling good than to be at home sick.” And, that’s the truth let me tell you. And, if you do get sick like me, don’t be a hero and go to work sick, you just might be contagious. I know it’s been going around the office here for sure.

I urge you to get your flu shots. Wash your hands often. Take plenty of vitamin C. Bundle up and stay healthy.

Mondee Tilley is a staff reporter with The Mount Airy News. She can be reached at mtilley@heartlandpublications.com or at 719-1930.