I am contagious

Yeah you read it right. My short-lived elation has vanished.

I have shingles.

I first consulted our house doctor on Tuesday. I noticed these clustered vesicles on my left lower back and my anterior left thigh last Saturday and I suspected shingles already. There was no clinic on weekends and I was on leave last Monday ergo, I had the chance to consult on Tuesday. The physician gave me antiviral agents good until I could report back for work on Friday (Tuesday and Wednesdays are my restdays for the week) and consult the specialist who’ll be on duty then.

Also on Tuesday, I got a very short notice from my team leader that I was tapped to be an on call trainer for our program and that on Wednesday I, along with the lot of team leaders in our program and a few agents will be making a demo before the company trainers. The trainers will be choosing only nine out of I dunno.

In short I was also in the office on Wednesday.

I thought that the presentation just went well but I did not impress the trainers so I went home right after and then went straight to the church.

When I got home, I got a gazillion missed calls and a text from my team leader that I got into the program and my training will start Thursday, which is also my restday.

I was in the office before 9:00 a.m. and I was able to join the training but there’s something in me that told me to check if the dermatologist was in. So I went to the clinic after lunch and she was there. She sent me home immediately giving me a 7-day sick leave.

I told the trainer about my condition and the doctor’s order.

In short, I am already cut off the program. I know they felt bad but honestly, I just felt a little bad. For one, I went on with the demo just to get it over with because this was my second time I was recommended to other departments. The first one I declined. But for the record, I felt good that I was considered in the Train the Trainer program.

So seven good days of being free from office work. I don’t have to call in sick because my schedule for the next seven days has been blocked. I am free! Physically, I don’t feel bad although there are occasional discomforts caused by the affected nerve pathways. But generally I am A-ok.

Thing is I can’t stay at home. I have a niece who has not gotten a chicken pox vaccine yet and my sister is pregnant. Although she’s in the latter part of her pregnancy past the organogenesis (vital organ forming stage) the virus might still cross the placental barrier and who knows what might be the effect.

In short again, I need to be out of the house during the day.

Bakasyon grande!

I was supposed to report for work at 1:00 PM today. Since I came from Sick Leave (SL) I had to secure clearance from our clinic. I thought that I will be cleared and will be marked fit to work. I was surprised when the physician gave me a 2-day SL extension.

My cough she said might be contagious so she sent me home with antitussives.
Aargh! Two days? Although I'm going to be paid for the SLs but the thing is I prefer them to be converted to cash come February next year.
I have rested the past couple of days. These are just secretions that are loosened and they want to get out of my lungs already that's why my coughing sounds bad (LOL).
Seriously, I want to protest. I'm no longer sick.

Speaking of Honesty,Trust and Loyalty

Although I was feeling sick as a dog yesterday, I tried my hardest to go to the office. The sun was too proud glaring at me aggravating my condition.
I went straight to the clinic for a consult. Three people whom I stumbled upon on my way up commented that I looked sick.
I looked sick because I was really sick. I just can’t stand the thought that I was treated like a notorious liar when I called in sick yesterday. The last time I had an unplanned leave was in October last year. If my memory serves me right.
The doctor gave me a 2-day sick leave. The diagnosis? AURTI or Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infection. Antibiotics, antitussive, analgesic and antipyretics were prescribed.
I went up and presented the Sick Report form to my team leader. When I’m sick I’m really emotional. I broke down in between horrible coughing telling her that why it’s so hard for them to believe that I am sick? I asked her if I would be the one to bring the form to bridge management. She said, it’s okay she’ll be the one to inform the group.
On my way home, it occurred to me who the heck was the effin’ OIC who only approved for me to get halfday SL. It was my team leader! It was confirmed by another team leader.
Okay, just because Saturday and Sunday were my restdays, it does not mean that I can’t be sick the following day.
It made me freaked out because of all people why it’s me who she suspects of malingering?
I have been loyal to the team rendering overtime everyday even on my restdays being in the office for straight 20 days in the past. Although the primary reason was monetary, but the thing is, I was there and I helped the group deliver.
I just don’t deserve this.
I’m not a liar. I am not malingering.
I think I was able to prove her wrong.
Shame on her.
Right now I’m still at home. No longer feverish but my eyes look like Garfield’s sleepy eyes. Yeah, I’m still barking coughing hard and when I cough I have tendencies of throwing up.

Feeling under the weather

I arrived at our home at around 9:00 pm last night from Puerto Galera.
My skin felt flushed and I'm barking coughing like a dog.
My head was throbbing. So I popped paracetamol and also to prevent impending pyrexia.
When I woke up this morning, I'm feeling body malaise. I'm still coughing like an active volcano that' about to emit lava.
I called our Bridge Management group to advise that i'll be taking sick leave (SL). The girl on the other line said she'll call me back. After about 30 minutes my cell rang the girl on the other line told me that I am only allowed by the effin’ OIC to take halfday SL
I was not able to control my disbelief and began with my litany that last year, I was able use only 2.5 SL credits out of 17. I don't think my availability is in question here. I'm not even on the hotlist of perennial offenders.
She said that she can't do anything about it because she's just following orders from the OIC and if I want to avail of the SL for the last half I'd still have to call around 4:00 PM. I said. to advise what? that I'm still sick? I'm telling you now that I'm sick and you don't believe me. She pretended to hear nothing and yacked on the reference number for the SL advise. That's when I said. I don't' care then I hung up.
I wish they were robots. No heart, no compassion. Then it will be pretty comprehensible.