Help me with a dilemma - should I stay or should I go?

[majikfaerie]

My DP is going out to a sort of festival this weekend (regional rainbow gathering) and I want to go with him.

However, I've got a nasty cough and should possibly avoid camping and long (2.5 hour) drives, and I have a birth client due today (though we expect her to go another week or 2 and I have backup, my client is encouraging me to not stay home on her behalf).

So I'm choosing between staying home and taking care of myself (which I've been doing the past 2 weeks to no avail), and going to a gathering of a group of some of my best and closest friends who I see rarely and might not see for months or years.

Thoughts?

(and before you mention it, I am well aware that if my cough is so bad I can't go camping for a weekend then I also shouldn't be at a birth - I won't do the birth if my health isn't up for it, I have back-up and that's not really a huge part of the consideration)

[MusicianDad]

Honestly, I would stay home and pamper myself.

[majikfaerie]

Thanks MD. I've been staying home and pampering myself for 2 weeks now. Not getting any healthier. And I miss my friends. OTOH, it's a hellava lot easier to just stay home and watch some videos.

[terrordactyl]

i'd go rainbow gatherings are fun and if you're friends are there it just might be what you need to get better

[dawningmama]

If it were me, I'd probably stay home. I absolutely hate to travel when I'm ill and can't remember I time that I did it that it turned out well.

[liliaceae]

I'd go.

[pjs]

I'd stay home. Eta- even if I was with friends I'd be a bit annoyed to hear someone hacking all weekend even if they're not still contagious. If you sound bad, stay home.

[Storm Bride]

If' I'd already been staying home for two weeks, I'd probably go. That does depend how your friends will feel about it, but if I, personally, had a choice between having a friend show up for something like that with a cough, or not seeing that friend for a long time, I'd rather they show.

[Adaline'sMama]

Id go. Its only 2.5 hours. If it gets too bad you can  just go home.

[meemee]

dont know about you mama, but i have found when dd and i are ill and its something that is continuing, we go on with our lives. we go do something. and there is something to be said about 'soul medicine'. so in your case it would be a no brainer. i would go for 'soul healing'. i have taken a v. sick looking (not contagious) daughter to sit by teh river or go to a movie and she seems to heal almost immediately.

so i kinda stopped doing the stay home till you heal. i think that sometimes staying home prolongs the illness.

now this may not be the way others operate, but it works very well for dd and me. 

btw nasty coughs have not stopped me in doing what i want to do. last winter i had a bad, bad allergic cough that nothing that had worked before was helping. i lived with it for over 6 months. 

i know the doctors here have told me that after a bath cold its normal to have a bad cough last for 6 months. 

for some reason this year - no cough. a little here and there while eating popcorn or peanuts, but nothing else. 

[nola79]

I'd stay home. BUT I'm a homebody and will take any excuse to stay home, so take that with a grain of salt.

[basmom]

If there was minimal prep /packing to do, I'd say go and let your friends take care of you. If the prep and packing would wear you out, I'd stay home and watch videos.....or I could just fly to Oz and take care of you.....

[majikfaerie]

ok, the option of Bsa coming over here and looking after me hadn't occurred to me. I take that option every time!!! when shall I pick you up bas? :loveeyes

[basmom]

Well... by the time I pick everyone up here in the US and Canada - and maybe Norway- (because I'm sure others will want to come along) - We could be talking a few days. I'll let you know when I have it all together.

[katiesk]

i'll come fix drinks for bas whilst she tends you. it will take me forever to get there. hopefully the party will still be on by the time i arrive. 

[vegemamato]

I'll come take care of you! 

[majikfaerie]

awww thanks everyone.

So, we have Bas coming, picking up vege and katie on the way, katie will be making drinks. sounds like a great plan!

as it turns out, I decided to go. When I got there I felt so awful I ended up deciding to drive home that evening (it was only 2 hours drive after all). DD and DH stayed and they have a ride home with friends on sunday, so that was good for them getting to stay an extra day too.

I'm glad I went - I got to see, albeit briefly, a bunch of good friends, including one guy I haven't seen in over 10 years! I got to circle and aum and lie in the river and breathe the air, and know that I didn't regret not going and missing out. and know that I need to keep staying home and resting. even though I don't feel any better.

so thanks for all the replies. I did make the right choice in the end.

[majikfaerie]

now that's out of the way; who wants cake?

[basmom]

I do love your cake.....

[pianojazzgirl]

Too late to comment on the OP, and out of left field but...

I just got over a really nasty cough recently.  What finally kicked it was doing steam inhalations with a few drops (5 or so) or oil of oregano in the water.  (add boiling water to the oil of O in a largish glass bowl, lean over the bowl and put a towel over your head and bowl.  breathe deeply).

Hope you're feeling better soon!