When life says slow down - taking a break before you break

You know the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"? Yeah... sometimes that's easier said than done. Honestly, at this moment, making lemonade feels completely out of the question! Let me explain.
This week was a rollercoaster. I’d been working four days straight, 12 hours a day. We had a crazy incident at work (which I talked about in my last post), and we were understaffed, but I love my job, so I kept going. Exhausted but determined, I came home on Wednesday night with big plans to carve a Halloween pumpkin. I had everything ready… except the energy! I was completely drained, so instead of diving into pumpkin carving, I collapsed on the couch.

Then Thursday rolled around, and I woke up feeling awful. Fever, cough, the whole sick package. I ended up staying in bed, hoping to bounce back by Friday morning. Thankfully, I felt well enough to go to work, even though I was still coughing. So I thought, “Alright, just few more shifts, and then I’ll have few days to recover.”

But Friday night hit me like a ton of bricks. I got home, planning a quiet evening with tea and TV. Then out of nowhere, I felt these terrible stomach cramps. I couldn’t breathe right, and this cold sweat covered me. Still, I figured, “I’ll feel better in the morning.” I popped a painkiller and waited. Twenty minutes went by… nothing. I took a second one, hoping it’d kick in. But suddenly, my head started spinning, and everything went black.
Next thing I knew, I was on the floor, surrounded by everything that used to be on my closet shelves. I heard the crash as I went down, and then, few seconds later, I saw my husband running towards me. I tried to stand, but my head was spinning, and then—just when I thought it couldn’t get worse—I started vomiting like crazy. My whole body felt like it was falling apart.

My husband managed to get me to bed and called my boss to say I wouldn’t make it to work the next day. After a horrible, painful night, I finally got some sleep, only to wake up in agony. My right arm hurt, my ribs hurt, my back hurt. I could barely sit up. So, off to the doctor I went. The diagnosis? Exhaustion, dehydration, and lack of sleep. My body had reached its limit and just… shut down. I’d bruised my ribs and arm from the fall, and my whole body was screaming for rest. Now here I am, lying down (because that’s about all I can manage), trying to remind myself that work can wait, but my health can’t. I don’t know why it took me passing out to realize that. The doctor warned me that, given my health, I need to be extra careful and listen to my body, or I risk more serious issues down the line. Oh, and coughing right now is a real challenge.
So, here’s my takeaway, a little wisdom from someone who learned the hard way, listen to your body before it forces you to listen. It’s okay to take a break. Trust me, your job will still be there tomorrow.

So, this was my weekend experience… 🤔

On the bright side, my husband’s handling the cooking and cleaning this week, so at least I get a bit of a pampering!

"Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live." – Jim Rohn

With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️