After feeling sick since Friday, I went to the doctor yesterday. I’m awaiting lab results of a test for strep throat.
I’m supposed to start a position as an hourly counselor at a community college today. I feel bad because there was already a mixup over my start date on my part, and I was supposed to start yesterday. I really, really hate missing work, especiallyin this situation, but I feel really shitty right now, and I know that if I were in the place of a coworker I wouldn’t be particularly impressed with the dedication of someone who came to work with an infectious disease.
What should I say when I call in? The lab results aren’t in, and I feel strange calling in with something there’s a chance I don’t have.
They don’t want you spreading your cooties all over the place anyway. Tell them you’re being tested for strep and were told to stay away from people (I assume your doctor told you that).
“I just coughed up a lung. Do you want me to stuff it back in so I can come into work, or can I just die here in the comfort of my own home?”
Seriously, stay home. Just call 'em up and tell them you’re waiting for results on your strep test, and that you don’t really want to take a chance on infecting anyone else.
Then go to the store and pick up some Knudsen’s Lemon Ginger Echinacea- they’ve got it at the HEB near your apartment, either in the health food section or in the juice section. Put some in a mug and toss it in the microwave for about a minute. It always makes me feel better.
Then when you’re feeling less infectious, go get some soup at Kim Phung.
Yep, and even if they don’t usually require a doctor’s note, get one anyway to show good faith this time. You don’t have to show them any confidential papers as to your results, but get a note to back up your story.
Wow. After being all snarky-cool, I get hoisted by my own pertrard by noticing the linked thread is newer than this one… I was taken in by the allure of its having more posts. :wally
Everything went fine with calling in. I somehow forgot that I was dealing with counselors. I was immediately told to take care of myself, feel better and not worry about it. When I went in the next day, every single member of the office staff asked how I was doing.
The strep test came back negative. I went through a couple more days of fevers, achiness, ice cream and soup, then went back to the doctor last night. Turns out I have mono.
What’s more annoying right now is that someone from the clinic called my cell phone while I was at work and couldn’t take the calls, leaving only a name and an extension that yielded no luck when I tried to actually call and find out what was so damned important.
