When Do You Surrender?

Nothing is worse than getting sick in the summer.  It's GORGEOUS outside, as I'm sure you know because you been out rolling around in all of the gorgeousness.  Me?  I've been laying in my bed covered in used tissues, sick germs, sweatshirts, comforter, fan remote (yes, I have a remote for my fan… don't judge), and a book I've been trying to read - which is rather difficult because I'm too distracted by - I don't know, TRYING TO BREATHE.  :/

The question is - when do you finally decide it's time to seek some advice/help from a doctor?  I was thinking of going today because I woke up and my tonsils were so swollen my throat felt like it was going to swell shut… but I decided against it because I felt a little better after I finally mustered the strength to take a shower.  (Believe me, this is all as disgusting as it sounds.)

My eyes are swollen, I'm coughing (just ask Yerin who had to be on the phone with me whilst booking the tickets to Turkey - I may have coughed enough through the phone to get her sick), sneezing, clammy, disgusting.  Everything hurts to eat/swallow. 

I AM MISERABLE.  

What I'm trying to avoid is a trip to the doctor that looks something like this:

[Joann waits 2 hours in the waiting room and in the meanwhile flips through the same issue of Highlights four times.]

Doctor: Well, what seems to be the problem? (Even though it's all written on this chart, I still feel the need to ask every time.)

Joann: (cough, sneeze) I'M DYING.

Doctor: (flips through some pages on my chart) No Joj, you just have a cold.

Joann: Do you have a prescription for something I could take to CURE my dying?!?!

Doctor: Just take some over the counter stuff - I don't know, Tylenol?

Joann: But…

[Doctor gives Joj a swift pat on the behind]

Doctor:  Well, off you go!  Lots of patients to see today, thanks for paying for my new set of golf clubs with your five minute visit!

Weeks later… I get a bill for $450.  Maybe even a nice smiley face scribbled next to the "Amount Due" box.

… I'll spend tomorrow trying to kill the germs myself - if drowning them in chicken soup doesn't work, I will sleep them away, or maybe try swallowing fire/hand sanitizer <- I assume this stuff works internally too. And only as a last resort will I drag myself to the waiting room of a doctor's office. 

Unless my throat/eyes swell shut overnight, in which case, if I even make it through the night, I might wake up looking like a newborn naked mole rat… and that would be unfortunate.  I'd probably go to the doctor then.  But only then.