When You Get Sick...

I rarely get sick. In a year’s time, I might come down with a cold once or twice a year. Typically what happens to me is that I am really busy, stressed, getting little sleep and not consistent with what I know to do (taking vitamins, hand washing, etc). So I was actually surprised that I was making it through my reign as Miss International without any illnesses. From all of my traveling, working with children (aka: mini germ factories!), and getting little sleep I knew it was only a matter of time. And I was right..LOL! My body had enough and I had a pretty rough 48-hour cold at the end of February. Here was the problem…my responsibilities did not stop just because I was sick. I still had patients to see and appearances to make that had been booked for months. So here is how I handled it:

- First, I prayed that God would get me through those tough days, as rescheduling patients and canceling appearances would have actually caused me to have more stress.

- Secondly, I took some cold medicine, but I also increased my doses of Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echinacea. I also gargled with warm salt water to kill the bacteria that was causing my sore throat, and I drank tea with honey to soothe my vocal chords before my speaking engagements.

- I tried to get as much sleep as possible. I went to bed early (this is nearly impossible for me being a night owl!) and I would rest during the day. I am not kidding when I say I would take small naps in between patients so that my body could last the whole day. 

- I reserved all my energy to take care of my responsibilities. I cut out the dinner with friends and the workouts at the gym in order to make sure my body could rest and heal quicker.

I write this as encouragement for those whose life cannot stop when you get a small sickness. Ideally, it is best to take time off, stay home, and rest until you feel better. Realistically, that cannot always happen. The steps I took helped me get through my cold without neglecting my responsibilities. I was also very mindful not to spread my germs. I would tell people that I was not feeling well so that they would not get close to me or wonder why I did not shake their hand or give them a hug. Make sure to take care of your body to avoid being affected by those unfriendly germs, but also have a plan B if you do get under the weather. Stay Healthy!

Elise Banks
Miss International 2015