Jan 15 2008
The Plague
I’ve been reading in the news that the plague seems to be making a comeback. Dr. A. even had a post about it today. Not to make light of a serious disease, but this year’s cold season feels like a plague. Everyone is getting a cold, and just when you think you’re all better and have had a couple weeks to get used to having your relative health back, a relapse occurs. Then another, and another.
I had my first part of this back in October, when an ear infection knocked me out. I had stabbing pain in my ear and was getting dizzy. I went to the doc, who prescribed ginormous pills to get rid of the infection, some prednisone for the inflammation, and some Nasonex to help with the nose stuff. I hate nasal sprays, so I slacked on that one. I much prefer a pill or yucky yummy liquid of some sort so that I can do shots.
So I got rid of the ear infection and saw no ill effects of it during my flight to and from Florida at Thanksgiving. A week before Christmas, however, all heck broke loose. The coughing, hacking, and nose blowing started. I felt well enough to go to work, but during the holiday pot luck they wouldn’t let me near anything, so in order to eat I had to employ Frank to get me some food. Shortly after Christmas I was finally feeling better.
Now it’s back in yet another form. All last week I was waking up with a sore, scratchy and swollen throat that would get much better as the day went on. I looked at my throat and it was red, but nothing else. Every morning this happened, and over the weekend I noticed that I was congested too. Not enough to blow my nose, nor enough to cough anything up. It was a (TMI warning here) thick, sticky mucous that was stuck way up in the back of my throat in that area where the sinuses meet the throat. I wasn’t feeling any better yesterday, so I took the day off from work to go to the doctor. That was an effort in futility. There were about 500 people in the waiting room, and I know from experience that if I did register there was no guarantee that I would be seen before, say, 2025. I have things to do in this lifetime, so I decided instead to go to the pharmacy and talk to the men in white coats pharmacist. I decided on some super-strength Sudafed, and except for a bit of a scratchy throat, I’ve been feeling better.
Boyfriend is sick now. He’s been putting it off, but this morning when I said goodbye to him I noticed he sounded raspy. On the way home from work he informs me that he called out of work today (which actually makes him feel better considering what jerks they’re being to him lately) and he’s been sitting at home with a blankie wrapped around him.
I went to the store in search of comfort food, and came home and fed Boyfriend. He seems to be feeling better, since he’s playing his silly little game now. I’m about to make my comfort food, Smiles, which is what happens when a Swedish immigrant hears about this Italian delicacy called spaghetti, tries it, and fails miserably. Good stuff.
I hope everyone out there is surviving this cold season. My office resembles a ghost town on some days, and I’m sure it’s the same for offices everywhere. Just take it easy, load up on comfort foods, and get plenty of rest.
