This reminds me: I experience a similar "welcome escape" sensation when I'm hospitalized. My work responsibilities are manifold and tend to intrude into my thoughts even when I'm at leisure. But when I'm in the hospital, there seem to be some sort of physical and psychological clean break. Hard to describe.

That's basically a vacation, or what it should be. I feel sorry for US people who, at best, get two weeks of paid time off a year, which they'll often need to use up throughout the year for other reasons. Everyone should be able to take a two week uninterrupted break at least once a year, ideally more often than that (two weeks around the holiday season, two weeks in summer, another week at another point, a long weekend on occasion, etc).

Yes, it makes me not feel guilty for not thinking about work. I love being super sick lol.