Okay, so here's the deal. Beware, for a lengthy post lies ahead.

Back in late September, when I started getting sick, I started missing class quite frequently. I would wake up with headaches, and sometimes a fever, that were severe enough that it was all I could do to turn my alarm clock off before I collapsed back onto my futon. This would happen as many as three or four times a week for three weeks in a row. Usually once I had slept it off, usually meaning around about 1:00 in the afternoon, I would feel good enough that Advil would get me through marching band or handbells (the last things I have in the day, depending on whether it's MWF or TR). I explained this to the teachers that I felt would be willing to listen to me, but the others (business classes and environmental studies) didn't seem like the types that would be sympathetic so I just left them alone and never mentioned anything.

Anyway, these absences began really piling up and meanwhile I continued to get sicker, until finally it got bad enough that I had to seek a second opinion (if you'll recall the original diagnosis had to me that I did not have mono). This opinion confirmed that I did indeed have mono, and after that the illness kicked into full gear. I was essentially finished at this point. From that Friday until the next Thursday, I left my apartment three times: once for a funeral, once for a music rehearsal, and once more for food. I was in very, very bad shape. In addition to mono, I had developed a very severe sinus infection and therefore my lymph nodes and sinuses were working in such solid force against me that my breathing became very labored and difficult. In essence, I was rendered completely and utterly useless for nearly an entire week. It was only when I went to the doctor and they prescribed me a wonderful drug called "Prednizone" that I managed to make myself a functional part of the world at large once more.

However, the predizone came too late. By this point, I had failed every single one of my classes on absences, with the notable exceptions of marching band and handbells. So while it has been an educational experience for me this semester, it has also amounted to being a complete washout. Because Baylor's attendance policy is extraordinarily strict and leaves no room for leeway, a medical excuse is no good. I missed more than 25% of classes, and therefore I have failed. My options were to take the "F"s or to drop all of my classes as "Withdrew Failing." Obviously I chose the latter, but no way that's going to look good on my already tarnished transcript. Crud.

So anyway, I took the last of my Prednizone today, so tomorrow we'll see how much of my feel-good-ness has been drug induced and how much has been genuine. I feel like I'm at about 70% of normal, so on Monday I'll return to marching band for the first time in almost three weeks. I won't be the same crazy and wild guy I'm known for being, and that's sad because I like being that guy. I'm going to be fighting just to learn this show in time for the last game, and I'm going to have to do it without the aid of knowing that I'm working my hardest. Because I can't work my hardest for fear of breaking my spleen. This is why mono is evil.

Anyway, I've got three rehearsals left and I'm going to make the most of them. I'm going to be coming back to marching band next year, that's about a 90% certainty at this point. I've just got to hope that I'm able to catch up before this season ends.

Also, handbells is so very much fun. It's the best, in fact. Come play handbells, for it is cool. Or just come and watch us play, on December 1st at 5:30 in the afternoon in Roxy Grove Hall on Baylor campus. It's going to be tops. Or keen, if you will.

And lastly, I'm at Ben Cozad's house and that is neat.

Goodnight.