Writing while sick

[ThisAdamGuy]

Me: "All right, time to get some writing done! I need to write at least 1000 words today."

Nose: "Am sick."

Me: "It's just a cold. It'll take more than a stuffy nose to stop me!"

Nose: "But...But am sick!"

Me: "Sorry, but we're both just going to have to deal with it."

Nose: "BUT AM SICK!"

Me: "And I have a deadline, so let me know when you need a tissue and leave me alone!"

Nose: "Brain fog."

Me: "Huh? What did you just...hey, that's not...um...fair!"

Nose: "Am sick."

Me: "I'm still gonna get my writing done! Nothing is me can do you stop there literally to."

Nose: ...

Me: "Night all write I'm just you to spite gonna!"

Nose: ...

Me: "Grbni ti no. I nca od sthi lal yda."

Nose: "Am sick."

Me: "Yes. Am sick."

 

[LoneQuack]

Honestly, I write better when I'm sick. Having headaches daily (or at least used to have when I was younger) helps build endurance. Now when it comes down to fevers and such they simply remove all the unnecessary thought since, wow, I'm sick so I don't have to worry about them. My brightest ideas and greatest epiphanies came when I was burning at 40 degrees (though somehow 39 felt much worse).

 

[Tyranomaster]

I made all my deadlines while fighting a lung problem that resulted in me waking up coughing if I slept for more than an hour (while experiencing asthma attacks about every 2). It was hell. Probably shouldn't have kept writing for those two months, but I did.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

That's cute. Now try it with your offspring.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I just get tired and sometimes wind up typing a lot of gibberish as I fade out of full awareness but still keep typing...

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

Brain fog is scary. It creeps up on you when you least expect it, and you wake up the next morning wondering what the heck happened.

 

[HungrySheep]

The brain fog only makes you stronger.

 

[Aijikan]

Me: "All right, time to get some writing done! I need to write at least 1000 words today."

Nose: "Am sick."

Me: "It's just a cold. It'll take more than a stuffy nose to stop me!"

Nose: "But...But am sick!"

Me: "Sorry, but we're both just going to have to deal with it."

Nose: "BUT AM SICK!"

Me: "And I have a deadline, so let me know when you need a tissue and leave me alone!"

Nose: "Brain fog."

Me: "Huh? What did you just...hey, that's not...um...fair!"

Nose: "Am sick."

Me: "I'm still gonna get my writing done! Nothing is me can do you stop there literally to."

Nose: ...

Me: "Night all write I'm just you to spite gonna!"

Nose: ...

Me: "Grbni ti no. I nca od sthi lal yda."

Nose: "Am sick."

Me: "Yes. Am sick."

My family members: oh you're sick again? You should take care of yourself and stop using that phone of urs!

My friends: ayooo bro, you're looking siiick. (If u know what I meant?)

 

[LewisBerneu]

Hmmm... bit more serious than just a head cold.

Just over five years ago I fell off a stepladder and banged my head. This was in France. Thought it was just concussion but went to the hospital as a precaution: they ran a CT scan, found nothing worse at the time, and sent me packing. I felt OK a few days later: I was well enough to drive back to UK.

But a few weeks later I started getting dizzy spells and collapsing - in the street even. And I found I could hardly write. My hands were shaking. On the computer I was constantly hitting the wrong keys, making gobbledegook of what I was trying to write. I was in the middle of an epic novel at the time. As for my handwriting, that had become just a scrawl. Other problems: I couldn't get on my bike, and of course I couldn't drive. Also incontinence. ?

Nevertheless I persisted with my writing - albeit with some difficulty - and managed to complete one or two chapters. And re-reading them again years later, I think I did pretty well! I still thought it was just the after-effects of concussion.

Eventually I was urged to see another doctor, which I did. He ran an MRI and then ordered me to hospital the same day - where I underwent surgery for a chronic subdural haematoma. If I'd left it too long it would possibly have killed me*.

Moral of my story. Yes it's possible to still write even when sick. But a heavy blow to the head: get it checked out pronto. And if you feel unwell in the following weeks - get it checked out again! It might save your life!!!

*The actress Natasha Richardson died of a similar cause following a skiing accident. They couldn't save her.