Low Grade Fevers

Kids get them all the time. From the time they are babies and teething until I don’t know early teens? My eldest is only 12 and she still gets them every now and then.

As adults by the time, we get a low grade fever and we are no longer surrounded by doting parents, we often have to muscle through whatever we have on our schedule anyway. We still have obligations we have to meet, homes we have to take care of, pets, children and partners to feed.

Sometimes we can call it all in and call it a day. Sometimes we can tell our invisible assistant to cancel all of our appointments and reschedule. Sometimes we can feel the fever coming and clear our schedule ahead of time. Those are the good times.

Often though we can’t see a way around what we have planned to do. Or if we do decide to call out for pizza for dinner we feel like a failure afterward (because let’s face it pizza is not going to help us heal from this stupid fever). Or that we are being judged.

Because the moment we don’t feel well we start to feel like everyone is looking at us (even though with the exception of our children probably no one is looking at us). It is frustrating. But it is real and it happens and we get under the weather.

And then what. How often do we keep going, keep pushing, trying to find ways to still get everything done with time that is slipping away too fast because everything is taking longer because we just can’t think straight. We just can’t wrap our heads around what is going on and would everyone please just shut up and turn all that noise off?

Maybe we ignored the first signs. Maybe we barreled through
them and now it’s near the end of the day and we still have to drive home and we are oh, so very tired.

Maybe people are counting on us. Maybe we were actually feeling good a few minutes ago. Maybe that last crying session of our kids was what threw us over the edge. Maybe that comment on social media that was meant to be nice just stings so much.

So what can you do? Now you are here and you don’t feel well but you usually can’t drop all of your balls yet. What do you do?

I try to stop and take a deep breath and look at what absolutely has to happen. I need to be in a safe mind space to drive everyone home. Does that mean I need to get a drink/pee/buy a coffee/get some food? Do I need to listen to uplifting music or an audiobook or silence on this drive home?

Can I ask hubby to make dinner, can I pull something out of the freezer? Is it really a good time to bring home something easy for dinner (minus the pizza as that usually just makes me feel sicker, your mileage may vary). Does dinner just need to be cold cereal and milk for the kids and maybe a hot cocoa for me? Can I go to bed early or take a nap for a few minutes between obligations today?

How can my partner support me? Let’s double up on some vitamins, that can’t make this situation any worse right? Can I take a bath after the kids go to bed, or while they watch tv? Is there a friend who can take my kids for a while?

There are almost always ways to clear your plate at least a little. Can you sleep in for a few extra minutes tomorrow morning? Going to bed early is almost always an option. Can you get someone else to go to that meeting? Can you lean on another parent and carpool to that after school activity? Can you get some other kids to come over and play with your kids? I swear that usually takes less energy than my having to entertain my own kids.

And most importantly what can you put in place for the next time this happens? Because there will be a next time. You will get under the weather again. What can you put in place (including actually getting that assistant who can clear your schedule), so that next time it will be easier and you can just let it go and
take care of yourself.

I guarantee you will feel better faster.

If you just surrender. And maybe eat some bone broth.