Calling in stoned...

There is a *very* good reason why I rarely take anything other than Tylenol or Advil no matter how sick or in how much pain I'm in... it makes me stupid! Yesterday was a perfect example!!! The kids have generously shared the recent run of cold/flu that is running through our house with me. I thought I wasn't home enough to catch anything from them... was I ever wrong! As is typical when I catch one of these illnesses, I'm knocked flat on my back.

It all started on Friday, where I was sounding like I was related to Kermit the Frog. All I could do was croak! I managed to make it through my night shift at work since all I was doing was croaking, and feeling a little nauseous. Nausea and I are closely related since I'm used to it from my hypoglycemia. I made it home okay and tried to catch a quick cat-nap before starting at the grocery store... another typical Saturday routine for me. Well things soon turned south from there. My ability to concentrate was non-existant... if it wasn't for the computer, and it beeping at me every time I hit the wrong button, I would have been literally screwed! I didn't make this many mistakes when I was first being trained there! When it came time for my break, and I couldn't even remember our Co-op number, I *knew* I had no place being there. I told the girl in charge that I would stick around until lunch so they wouldn't be short-handed. I hoped that I could make it through another 2 hours without completely screwing everything up.

Lunch break was another experience entirely. I could barely concentrate on the highway on my way home. This is only a 10 minute drive straight down the TC, and if it wasn't for the fact that I don't need to turn off at all except to get into town here, I would have ended up lost! Since Derek had seen what bad shape I was in at work, he was sweet enough to have a cup of tea waiting for me. His quote to the kids was, "Mom could barely even scan in the groceries." Well his sweet gesture was promptly introduced into the bathroom where I spent a half hour getting well aquainted with our fixtures in there. He phoned Co-op and told them that I wasn't going back for the rest of the afternoon, even though they needed me to close that day.

As if things couldn't get any worse, they did! Since Derek isn't used to me being *this* sick, he hauled me in to Wal-Mart to get *something* to make me feel better. I didn't want to go, but I didn't have any idea of what to tell him to get for me either. I picked out an assortment of throat and cough drops, as well as some Neo-Citran... that was when it got interesting. Neo-Citran has a variety of different drugs in it, and with good reason, it's not recommended to drive or operate power equipment while taking it. There should have been another warning on the label for me... trying to talk coherently, or operate a telephone is beyond your abilities until all residuals of this medication are out of your system!!! I thought I was behaving and talking funny *before* I took it... that's nothing compared to me *after*!!! Someone, I'm not sure who, brought me the phone to call work to say that I wouldn't be in last night. I vaguely remember looking at it oddly, and the next thing I can recall is that it was ringing. I looked at the phone strangely and answered it. It was my manager, wondering where I was. I *know* that I talked to her, and I *know* that I tried to explain that I was sick... but what exactly I said, or even if it made any sense at all is beyond me!

Here it is, the next morning, and my brain still feels really foggy. I'm not feeling any better, but I'm afraid to take any more of the Neo-Citran, and with good reason I think. The only reason I'm posting this is to warn you all of the dangers of taking this kind of stuf... or at least the dangers of allowing *me* to take any of them!!!