Date: 19 November 2006 13:36:14
I worked on the ward for the first time in over a week last night. I am (just about) better. I feel much better in myself generally, but I'm still congested, especially behind my ears and my cough is being very persistant. The doctor has given me decongestants, which are helping. I called in sick for 2 out of 3 night shifts, not because I was still bedridden and really ill, but because my body was is taking a long time to fully recover from the nasty infection. I wouldn't have had enough energy to do a night on Thursday or Friday, I only just managed it last night. The congestion and pressure behind my ears was also causing considerable pain. But yesterday I felt better than I had done for over a week, and I felt I was fit for work.
The other major after effect of being ill, is of course, the entire weeks worth of work on my dissertation that I haven't done. Now that I'm better, I'm trying to catch up and at the moment I feel like I'm doing so 24 hours a day. Yesterday I worked on it for most of the day, except for a couple of hours nap in the afternoon before my night shift. Then I went to work, and as it was quiet I spent several hours in a spare room doing some reading towards it. It was good because I was still on hand to take the most of any learning opportunities on the ward, but in the quiet patches I was using my time productively. I also managed to do a large portion of my big annoying folder with my mentor, which was really good. I think it was about 2.30am when my brain said 'STOP! - I can't do any more work, I'm supposed to be sleeping!', so any 'free time' after that was spent reading my non-acedemic book. This morning I've come home and slept for a good four hours. I could have slept longer, but tomorrow I'm back on days (7am start, nice!) and I need to make sure I sleep tonight. This afternoon will be spent plodding on with my dissertation and tonight I'll be flopping in the pub with good friends!