Day 3 - 323 -- Tired and Sore

The alarm went off on time today, and I promptly fell back to sleep. Headaches will do that. I woke about 45 minutes later and had to race through morning routines to get myself to work and into the classroom on time. Feeling foggy with the migraine didn't help me move quickly, but it seemed to work fairly well. I realized today that one class has a distinct scented student -- something flowery and obnoxious. Scents can set off allergic responses. This explains the croaky voice -- not a cold but allergy swelling around vocal chords. Migraines do have allergic bases for me so this may be the reason I've had so many this fall. After tripping over a stool in the room, I had to explain to the class that I had a migraine and that I don't see clearly at such times. I then told them that scented soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer scent particles create horrific responses -- not only with me but with colleagues in the building.

Marketing has been pushing multiple scented products with scents that last weeks. There seems to be an undercurrent that people smell bad. As long as people bathe regularly, there should be no problem. We are not in need of heavy cover up scents as they used in medieval and later times when washing bodies and clothes were seen as health risks. Now, the scents themselves pose health risks to many people with different health issues. As future health professionals, there is a need to de-scent the closet. Sadly, we can't seem to get signage around the building as there isn't an institutional policy nor is there will to develop one for our building. This topic may require constant advocacy but it is difficult to do when the workplace makes one sick.

Today I've been tired since waking. It was difficult to remain alert through classes and meetings. I hope to listen to the rain and fall into a restful sleep to help make the hurt go away. The song I chose to share covers some of my experiences today. Enjoy!

Day Sleeper -- R.E.M