it might be instamatic flu

Sick

'I cannot go to school today, '
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut-my eyes are blue-
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is-what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play! '

Shel Silverstein

I realize I seem very "Hey World, feel sorry for me I'm sick!" but it's really only because I'm quite bored and lonely. I would like to be entertained but everyone is busy. So I amuse myself with these random musings. As I wait for my body to heal itself, I'm taking this opportunity to explore the photographic documentation of my non-serious illnesses over the past several years. The photos go back to 2005 although I seem to be missing any sort of photos from 2007. I realize that I did not always take photos of myself when I was sick, but I think it's a bit odd for that entire year to not have any images. I'm not sure what initially prompted this photo documentation of sickness. Like now, I think I must have been bored and I was tired of sleeping, didn't have anything to watch, couldn't concentrate on reading (or had already finished a book like I did today), I'd probably already written emails to everyone I knew, blogged about being sick, made the mistake of thinking that because my mind was active then I must be ok, but when I would try to actually return to normal activity I would quickly realize that no, I was still sick. What would be left? Clearly my camera was the only remaining option (and by extension of that, Flickr!).

So let's go for a quick trip back in time, stopping in to visit only when I'm a little bit wheezy and a little bit sneezy.

April 2009
Quite rotten. During the early part of the swine flu hysteria. Coworkers hissed at me and wore crosses to ward me off.

December 2008
Very bad indeed. I don't think I moved much from that position.

October 2008


Started out as a prolonged headache, but progressed to such a point that I was too weak to use my SLR and started using the webcam instead.

February 2008

Particularly memorable. I traveled to Saskatoon with some friends. I got sick on the way down, ended up spending 7 hours in emergency, but not for me. No, my friend decided she was going to one up me and passed a kidney stone. I was very supportive however and stayed with her the whole time. That night I had a fever and couldn't move until 1pm the next day. It was grand.

November 2006

No recollection of this time.

November 2005