Ahh the guilt
I am a loyal employee, I do my job very well, I am always punctual and always willing to help pick up the slack from our ever short handed profession.
Yesterday I called in sick, because well I am sick. Daily I am responsible to safely deliver 240 kids from home to school and back again. Catchin cooties is a job hazard. Happens to all of us due to exposure. This is my 2nd bout of cooties this school year. 2 weeks after school started was the first time. We were so short handed that I went to work even when I knew I shouldn't have. I was sick and miserable for 2 straight weeks. Ended up with Bronchitis and a hefty doctor and Rx bill to boot. I attribute that to not getting enough sleep and my inability to take any type of medication to help my symptoms due to the nature of my job.
So this time I decide to try a different approach. I called off yesterday and doped myself up on anti-hystemines and attempted to sleep the day away. Good plan I thought. Maybe I can avoid getting so sick this time.
12:00 pm my phone rings waking me up, it is my dispatcher calling. Asking me to come into work. Yep asking me to come to work. Mind you I have been a walking coughing stuffy mess since Monday and she knew it. The desperation was obvious in the tone of her voice. I hesitates for a good 45 seconds pondering the idea of actually going in. I can't believe I actually considered it!! But then I said to myself "What the hell are you thinkin?" I mustered up all my nerve and said No, I am sick and I don't feel I can preform my job safely at this time. I did the right thing. We are given sick leave for a reason. To use when we are sick, right?
So why then did I feel guilty for my decision? Shouldn't my loyalties lie with ME!! Is it not my right to properly tend to my health and well-being? I should have stayed home today as well. I feel worse again because I can't take the meds to help manage the symptoms. But as I paced the floor this morning after a restless night, I couldn't bring myself to pick up the phone and make that call. It was easier just to suck it up and go to work.
Sometimes I just can't figure me out!! lol
Yesterday I called in sick, because well I am sick. Daily I am responsible to safely deliver 240 kids from home to school and back again. Catchin cooties is a job hazard. Happens to all of us due to exposure. This is my 2nd bout of cooties this school year. 2 weeks after school started was the first time. We were so short handed that I went to work even when I knew I shouldn't have. I was sick and miserable for 2 straight weeks. Ended up with Bronchitis and a hefty doctor and Rx bill to boot. I attribute that to not getting enough sleep and my inability to take any type of medication to help my symptoms due to the nature of my job.
So this time I decide to try a different approach. I called off yesterday and doped myself up on anti-hystemines and attempted to sleep the day away. Good plan I thought. Maybe I can avoid getting so sick this time.
12:00 pm my phone rings waking me up, it is my dispatcher calling. Asking me to come into work. Yep asking me to come to work. Mind you I have been a walking coughing stuffy mess since Monday and she knew it. The desperation was obvious in the tone of her voice. I hesitates for a good 45 seconds pondering the idea of actually going in. I can't believe I actually considered it!! But then I said to myself "What the hell are you thinkin?" I mustered up all my nerve and said No, I am sick and I don't feel I can preform my job safely at this time. I did the right thing. We are given sick leave for a reason. To use when we are sick, right?
So why then did I feel guilty for my decision? Shouldn't my loyalties lie with ME!! Is it not my right to properly tend to my health and well-being? I should have stayed home today as well. I feel worse again because I can't take the meds to help manage the symptoms. But as I paced the floor this morning after a restless night, I couldn't bring myself to pick up the phone and make that call. It was easier just to suck it up and go to work.
Sometimes I just can't figure me out!! lol







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