"It's just a cold."

I hate saying that more and more every time. That little word "just" minimizes the impact a cold has on a person. I've grown up hearing that sentence and saying it, so when I have a cold it does not seem right to miss class or meetings to stay at home and rest. On the other hand, it is so difficult to comprehend what is happening around me. It takes so much energy just to breathe. Yet because it's "just a cold" we are expected to continue on with everything as normal. Unfortunately, when this happens it is so much easier for this cold to spread to others, especially in such a clos-knit community. So now I decide in the next 9 minutes whether or not to go to class...