Saturday, September 14, 2013

Takes My Breath Away...

Sunday, September 1st, I knew I was having lots and lots of trouble with allergies.  There is some pollen that comes in the spring and another in the fall that are particularly difficult for my eyes and breathing. I took an antihistamine during Church and it really didn't seem to do much good. I had been taking a 24-hour antihistamine each day during the previous week and they seemed to help. But that Sunday one just didn't stop my sneezing or itchy eyes.

I hurried straight home from Church and changed into really comfortable clothes and curled up in bed. I awoke at 5pm. I am not a napper. This nap was at least a three hour nap. Hmmm....

Claude came home while I was asleep and he laid down on another bed and took a little nap. He was sitting in his rocking chair when I awoke and stumbled into the living room. Clearly I was on a downward spiral of some sort. By the time it was bedtime I was coughing like I had the croup. Goodness. Cough drops were located and I kept one in my mouth all night as I coughed the night away trying to get more rest.

Monday was Labor Day. The plan had been to invite Papa out and have a cookout.  I was to get Papa after lunch time and bring him to our home. I called Papa and he also had a cold. He had not gone to Church Sunday. We decided we both should just rest and try to get well and have a cookout some other time. I headed back to bed to take another nap. Goodness.

Tuesday morning I called my doctor. My throat was so very sore, the coughing was awful and I ached all over. The doctor could see me at 11am. I wanted to be sure I did not have strep.

Dr. Culbertson came in after the nurse took all the vital information. He reached out to shake my hand. I started to put my hand out and then said, "I don't think we should do that."  Then we both chuckled.  I seriously don't know how someone works in a doctor's office with all those germs and doesn't get sick more often.

Dr. Culbertson did a strep test and it came back negative. Then he told me that test was only 80% effective. That means I still had a 20% chance of having strep. He didn't think that was the case because the glands in my neck were not swollen. He was sure I had bronchitis. Yippee!!  Again!!  Since I had already had a recent round of antibiotics with the root canal work, Dr. Culbertson gave me a prescription for the Z-Pack version. I headed to the drug store and got my meds and then headed home for another nap. Goodness.

Wednesday I canceled all the things I had on my calendar and spent one more day taking my antibiotic and more napping with lots of liquids.

Thursday I planned to take Papa grocery shopping.  After a phone call to him we determined he could go another day without shopping and wanted another day to rest. I felt the same way so we postponed our shopping till Friday.

Friday morning I baked the cake for the cake walk at Sadieville in September on Saturday. I did a few other things in our home and then ventured out in the afternoon. Papa was beginning to feel a bit better but still had deep chest coughs. We went to Zaxby's for lunch, then I took him to the furniture store to see what would be his new chair in a few days, then we got his groceries and took him home.  Then I went home for a rest for the remainder of the day.

Saturday was Sadieville in September and I was outside all day long.  The allergies hit again big time.  By the end of the day I was sitting in City Hall waiting for Claude and feeling very nauseous. Claude brought the car around and took me home where I curled up for the rest of the evening. Claude did go back to be sure everything ended up okay after the Festival.

I'm making slow progress.  Friday the 13th was the first day I could say I actually began to feel normal. Didn't want the nap in the middle of the day. And I actually felt like accomplishing things again.

Bronchitis is something I seem to get each winter.  I have assured Claude this was and is my winter turn at that illness.  No more should happen the rest of this year.  I look forward to breathing deeply again.

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