I dislike being sick

...mainly because I don't think anyone ever takes me seriously. I am staying home from work today because I had a fever and sore throat yesterday, feverishly sweat through the night, hardly slept, and woke up with congestion in my lungs and white spots on my throat, stuffy nose and a headache. To me, that is reason enough to stay home, even work from home as to not infect my co-workers, but thanks to my mother, there is this deep lurking guilt associated with staying home from work. I cannot possibly have any fun today, I cannot go outdoors, cannot have fun with friends tonight. "If you didn't feel well enough to go to school, you can't go outside," she would say, "or do anything remotely enjoyable apparently"...I would think. I'm home, trying to decide if I'm going to enjoy my breakfast or not.