Do you cancel your session if you have a cold?

rainbow8 · Apr 28, 2014, 09:20 AM

If you have a cold/virus without fever.would you go or cancel? I thought I would feel better by now, but seems I recaught it from my grandkids. I'm back home and will rest all day. My t doesn't usually have any other openings in the office I go to. It is 3 weeks and if I cancel it will be 4. But I'm coughing a lot. No holding hands if I go--or hugs.

So, I don't know what to do. Has anyone gone to their session with a cold? Once I did but it wasn't as bad as this one seems to be.

Asiablue · Apr 28, 2014, 09:25 AM

I wouldn't, simply because colds knock me on my ***! So wouldn't have the energy. But you should probably call her and give her the option to cancel if she wants.

sailorboy · Apr 28, 2014, 09:33 AM

I went to therapy once when I had almost no voice so no I wouldn't cancel.

Apr 28, 2014, 09:43 AM

I cancel if I'm feeling miserable, particularly if I for a minute thought I might cause my T to get sick. That's only polite and fair.

rainbow8 · Apr 28, 2014, 10:05 AM

I'm going to email her and see what she says. I've been doing so well without her but now I'm crying. I miss her, finally, now that I'm home.

Apr 28, 2014, 10:09 AM

If I just have a cold, I typically don't cancel. I would just warn him and not hug him at the end of the session.

sweepy62 · Apr 28, 2014, 10:09 AM

I wouldn't go but that's just me. I would be too worried about giving her a cold and then feel bad.
I just a worry wart.

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Aloneandafraid · Apr 28, 2014, 10:10 AM

Sorry to hear you're poorly and feeling low, Rainbow. Take good care of yourself and be led by her. You might feel much better by tomorrow.... Thinking of you and sending healing hugs. Xx

BlessedRhiannon · Apr 28, 2014, 10:17 AM

Depends. If I think it might be an actual cold and I might be contagious - then yes. I don't want to get anyone else sick. If I felt well enough to talk on the phone, I might ask T if we could do a phone session in place of our regular in person session. If it's more of a sinus infection or allergies, then as long as I feel well enough to drive, I'd go.

I've gone to sessions with almost no voice, but that happens to me often when my allergies are bad.

Apr 28, 2014, 10:22 AM

I was going to say what BlessedRhiannon said, if you might be contagious, but feel up to talking, ask for a phone session instead of in person. (I've been doing phone sessions only since my T moved over a year ago, and they work well for me!) Hope you feel better soon.

RTerroni · Apr 28, 2014, 10:31 AM

I never have had to before, but if I was feeling very sick than I would cancel session.

nottrustin · Apr 28, 2014, 10:43 AM

I have never cancelled due to illness as I am not usually sick. T tells her clients if they are sick she would rather have them cancel than come in and make her and possibly her other clients sick. She doesn't charge for missed appointments either regardless of the reason. I did once call her as I had been sick and still had some residual symptoms of a cold this winter. I told her what was going on and asked what she would prefer as I felt fine but wanted her to decide. She told me to come in.

HazelGirl · Apr 28, 2014, 10:51 AM

I go when I have a cold.

AllyIsHopeful · Apr 28, 2014, 11:02 AM

It hasn't happened to me yet, but I probably would cancel because I find it impossible to care about anything when I'm sick. My T has been sick in a couple sessions and it hasn't bothered me.

owlpride · Apr 28, 2014, 11:08 AM

I would cancel if I thought that I might be contagious.

I personally wouldn't want to sit in a room with a contagious person (or enter a room shortly after a contagious person has left), so I do other people the favor of staying home when I'm sick.

Apr 28, 2014, 11:35 AM

I have asked my T about this and he does not want me to cancel as long as I am physically able to make it to his office. I have to pay for all cancelled sessions that can't be rescheduled in the same week (regardless of how far in advance I cancel, and regardless of the reason) but I don't pay for the sessions I go to, so I have absolutely no incentive not to go. And since T has explicitly said that he is not bothered by the risk of contagion, I trust that he means it. I don't mind it when he works despite having a cold - on the contrary, I very much appreciate the fact that he comes in anyway. We don't shake hands when either one of us has a cold, though.

OneWorld · Apr 28, 2014, 11:35 AM

If I would go to work or the store, I go to the session. I usually load up on cold meds first so I'm not coughing or feeling poorly during it.

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HealingTimes · Apr 28, 2014, 12:14 PM

I normally text her to let her know that I have a cold/illness and leave it up to her if I attend or not.
The last few times, she has asked me not to come. It felt really disappointing but I understand she doesn't want to become ill.

brillskep · Apr 28, 2014, 12:50 PM

It depends on how bad I'm feeling. I'll go see my therapist with a runny nose or a somewhat annoying cough, but if I'm using a pack of tissues per hour or more and if I can barely talk and I'm so sick I can't sleep, then I don't go to session. I normally get very mild colds, but sometimes I can get them really bad (without fever but it feels like i have fever) and when that happens I stay home as much as possible. I remember the last time I had a cold it was awful, I canceled therapy and took a week off, then after a week I decided to resume all my activities (therapy included) but my cold was just better and it didn't really heal for a couple of weeks. That one was nasty.

rainbow8 · Apr 28, 2014, 01:03 PM

T emailed me back that I can let her know early tomorrow, and she hopes I get some rest today.
So I still don't know if she cares that I have a cold. I have a hard time making decisions and ruminate too much about them. I keep coughing even with tea and cough drops which makes my head hurt. Yucky cold! Eyes hurting not itching so this is definitely no allergies.

What really bothers me is that t was NOT on my mind and now she is! Her emails trigger me which is why I'm okay with the rule that she never answers except for scheduling.

krisakira · Apr 28, 2014, 01:22 PM

I just went to T with a sinus infection. It makes things really harder to process so if you feel like it would not allow you to be present mindfully then you might as well not go. But if you're able to focus then sure why not go

Apr 28, 2014, 01:39 PM

Depends how bad of a cold you get, If I get really sick then I would cancel.

Hope you feel better soon rainbow

Apr 28, 2014, 06:42 PM

Only if I believed I was contagious, but I never was.

Jdog123 · Apr 28, 2014, 09:38 PM

I've had maybe a few weeks over the last 4 years when I've had a cold and never bad (I fortunately don't get sick/flu, etc.). I ask T first and then if she says it's OK (almost always the case because I haven't had a real illness in years), no hugging. The times I haven't been able to go, we've had a phone or Skype session. Perhaps the latter will be an option for you?

rainbow8 · Apr 28, 2014, 10:14 PM

Thanks, everyone. So much of my sessions depend on body language so I don't think a phone session would work. I don't think Skype would work from her cell phone.

I feel somewhat better except sometimes when I cough I feel it's a spasm or something. I can't fall asleep because of the normal coughing. I keep drinking water and tea which hasn't helped.

Maybe I'll have to go the Dr. _instead of T. If I can sleep and if the cough is better in the morning I'll go but I doubt it. Maybe I should have taken a decongestant pill instead of my allergy medicine ( zyrtec). Oh well. Sorry if tmi. I'm writing and coughing in bed; I'm afraid to lie down and get that attack.I have an inhaler but I've never used it.this doesn't seem like asthma or bronchitis either.

I had lots to do this week after being away for 2 weeks. My h. was nice and went grocery shopping and got our mail from the post office.
I'm going to try sleeping again sort of sitting up.

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