After snow came the sun. And not just normal sun. Crazy sun. From -3°C to 15°C in two days. Excuse me… what?! Is this Austria or some tropical experiment?
So I’m like: “Oh nice, perfect time to decorate the garden, bring out the plants, be productive, be that healthy glowing spring girl.”
But no.
Someone up there said: “No Tina. No sunshine for you. You will enjoy this weather… from your bed.”
I was totally fine. Ready for work next day. Responsible adult. And then… middle of the night… BAM. I wake up. Head exploding. Throat screaming, “Don’t you dare swallow or you die.” Clothes completely wet. I check my temperature (okay, my husband checked it because I was dramatic and dying and whining like a baby).
39°C.
Are you kidding me???
Seriously. Fuck my life. (Yes, I use bad words when I’m half dead. It’s my coping mechanism.)
In that moment I even thought...is having epilepsy and Crohn’s disease this bad? Because lying in bed with fever feels illegal. The world is going crazy and I’m here feeling sorry for myself because I’m sick. What is wrong with me?
I’ve been in bed four days. FOUR. I watched everything on Netflix. Okay… half watched, half slept. Honestly I don’t even know what I watched. Maybe I invented some episodes.
My husband worked four days straight. Four. I’m not saying he did it on purpose so he doesn’t have to take care of me… but I’m also not not saying it.
At one point I was so sick I called my mom and asked if she could come to Austria to make me tea. Yes. I was hallucinating.
AND I HATE TEA.
But everything else was too cold for my poor dramatic throat.
Today is better. I can open both eyes. Fever almost gone. I can sit. I can scroll my phone. I can even write this (probably took me four hours, but who cares). Small victories.
So of course I asked myself...and Google...can weather actually make you sick?
Short answer? Yes...
It’s called “season change sickness.” The weather itself doesn’t infect you, but the chaos around it does. Yes...chaos...
First: allergies. Spring comes, plants go crazy, pollen everywhere. Even if you’re “not an allergy person,” your immune system is busy fighting this nonsense. So when a virus comes, it’s like, “Oh hello, free apartment in your nose.” Boom. Cold. Sinus infection. Party.
And no, I don’t have allergies. At least I think I don’t. And honestly my body already has enough drama with epilepsy and Crohn’s. No new diseases please. Subscription is full.
Second: temperature mood swings. Cold. Warm. Rain. Sun. Again cold. Studies say viruses love colder noses. Great. Rapid temperature changes can mess with your immune system. So basically my nose became a five-star hotel for viruses.
Third: winter habits. We stay inside all winter. Germs everywhere. Then spring comes, sun comes, and we go outside in short T-shirts like idiots. “It’s warm, I’ll be fine.”
IT WON’T KILL ME.
It killed me.
Apparently the body also needs about two weeks to adjust to big weather changes. During that time? Headaches, sinus pressure, tiredness, sleep problems. And yes. All of that is happening to me. Thank you very much.
How to survive this chaos?
– Dress in layers. Don’t be me.
– Rest. Drink fluids. (Tea… unfortunately.)
– Use nasal spray before you feel like you’re dying.
– Wash hands. I work in health care, I disinfect my hands like it’s a hobby. Maybe too much. Who knows.
Anyway. I survived. I can look at the computer. Few points for Tina.
Still alone at home. Husband working (very convenient). But I’m strong enough now to make my own tea. Look at me. Independent woman.
Also I’m not hungry, which is shocking. But when I am, thanks to people for food delivery apps. This is my third day ordering Chinese food. Mostly for the spicy sour meat soup. Two a day. It clears my nose better than any medicine. I swear. I will recover 70% because of that soup alone.
So yes. That’s my spring story.
Stay healthy. And don’t be stupid like me. If it’s sunny for five minutes, it doesn’t mean summer is here. Put on a jacket. Your future self will thank you.
