I’ve been sleeping nearly all day. On and off I’ve managed to get up off the couch, but my body is saying, “SLEEP!” and I’ve been obeying.

I knew I was catching a bug on Thursday. I warned my students, and didn’t touch their reeds or instruments. Playing opera that night wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, but I had a sneakin’ suspicion I was going to get worse. Yesterday I did manage to get a good walk in, but otherwise I took it easy until I drove over the hill for the first of two UCSC concerts I am playing.

Then there was the middle of the night episode. Sigh.

I have acid reflux (sometimes I wonder if it’s related to oboe playing), and I had the worst episode last night. It was my own darn fault: I hate a chocolate chip cookie before bed. Everyone with acid reflux knows not to eat before bed, and chocolate is a huge no no! But of course I DID eat one, and of course I had a horrible bout of AR. Following that I couldn’t breathe. I had involuntary swallowing. I honestly didn’t know quite what was going to happen. And I probably scared Dan horribly. But I survived. Whew!

When I woke this morning I not only had the memory of that scare, but I had a fever and my cold had gotten worse. Well, that, and I felt like I’d been run over by a truck! Thus, the napping all day long.

And to think it’s my birthday! Hmmm. I do not approve of this day. At all.

But now it’s time for me to get up, face the fact that I have opera at 8:00, and prepare for that. I just can’t see calling in sick with this music. The part I have for Pagliacci has the added off stage oboe line printed in it, and it’s not terribly easy to read. I can’t imagine a sub coming in and dealing with that. The Poulenc is just tricky for counting, and I’d hate to have someone sight read that. So I will take ibuprofen and tylenol. I will have something hot to drink (maybe my throat coat tea although right now that doesn’t appeal to me). I will have “throat drops” in case I have a coughing fit (although I hate using those because I can pretty much kiss reeds goodbye).

Tomorrow I have opera and I then race over to UCSC for the second concert.

But hey, I’m only an oboe player! I know singers have to get up on stage and act and sing when they are ill. So I will attempt to shut up and play, rather than whine. Really!