Do you curl up on the sofa with a book and a cup of tea? Do you grit your teeth and go to work anyway? Do you stay in bed all day, or try to do things around the house?

Are you a big fat baby like me, or a good little soldier like Jeremy?

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Answers

This is my dark secret: When I decide I'm staying home (for physical or "mental" illness) I lie on the couch and watch Court TV with the sound turned low, just so I can hear it. Don't know why this soothes me. I like to eat comfort food like toasted cheese sandwiches or macaroni and cheese. And drink cold things.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Most of the time I stay home and watch bad television. I curl up with a dog or two and take some naps.

But I'm sick right now and I'm at my desk working my ass off. I've been sick since Monday and I've come to work every day. And the only reason I have to do it is because my damn co-worker brought the illness to work on his last three days on the job and then left. So I'm stuck here alone doing all the work feeling like I want to wretch.

I think that's the worst feeling. Feeling like you want to wretch, but you don't. I eat something and the feeling goes away for a while and then comes back.

I hope you start feeling better! And that you find something better on television. We've got at least 70 channels and there is nothing good on during office hours. Maybe you could watch some movies?

Colleen

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Sleep. Sleep some more.

Eat toast and buillion.

Sleep some more. Wake up. Drink something. Sleep some more.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

I'm a big fat baby. Last winter I had the flu twice and the annoyance of that was mitigated by the fact that I'd just gotten a huge number of Sunset magazines from the early 60s. I blissfully lay on the sofa and read them, alternating with a huge family saga-type novel that I started re-reading for no particular reason. I drank tea and ate soup. It was great.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Massive doses of vitamin C. That's what I've been popping all week. That, and lemon sorbet. I have a sore throat. Which is much better than a sore tummy, to be sure. When I have a stomach flu I hide away in the fetal position until it goes away. (Get well soon, Beth.)

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Well, for the past three years, whenever I've been sick, I run to Target and get a pregnancy test.

Guess I won't need to do that anymore! :)

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999

Sleep. Go online. Eat ramen and cup noodles, or not at all. Save the 'good little soldier' routine for when I really need it (if I have a test, and I feel like hell... that's the time to try the stoicism racket)

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999

Beth,

I think you have the same thing as me. I got better too and then wham. It's so unfair. You think you're better but you're not. I feel like dying now. I just may.

Anyway, I'm a dirty smoker-- so I'm getting what's coming to me.

Hope you feel better soon.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999

Stasi -- big happy congratulations going your way! And I already wrote you this in an e-mail, but damn, I better not have what you have!

My advice to all you other sickies out there: udon. With plain broth. Milder than chicken soup, less salty than top ramen. My new sick routine.

Oh, and skip the hotdogs.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999

Hot Dogs? /me vomits!

Thanks Beth... I hope you don't either...but heck, we could open up a dog/baby daycare center! hehehehe

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999

If you're sick with that thing that Stasi and I have, try raspberry leaf tea and stock up on b-vitamins.

This time, *knock on wood furiously* I haven't puked once. Eating too healthily.

Whatever you have, I hope it goes away faster than 40 weeks!

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999