12 27 99

cruel fate

Sometimes I feel an overwhelming urge to drop what I'm doing, march outside, shake my fist at the sky and scream, "Fuck you, too!"

I'm sick.

This isn't your average, run of the mill cold. I was miserable today. Still am, in fact. Fever, running nose, coughing up phlegm, all that good stuff.

I'm just praying that I don't have strep throat. I haven't had that in years, but if that's what I have I'm down for the count. Past New Years. frown

Hopefully, this is a cold and not strep. It's always hard to tell the first day or two. My colds run a fairly predicable course. First it starts out with sneezing. That was last week. I feel fine, except for occasional sneezing barrages. Then I get slammed with chills, aches, fever, sore throat from nasal drainage, and a muzzy head. That usually lasts for a day or two. After the really awful stuff goes away, I'm left with a cough that can last anywhere from two weeks to a month. If I'm really unlucky I'll get bronchitis.

So today I had a fever. Went to work, though. I need the money bad. I'll probably feel slightly better (by comparison) tomorrow. The fever will have subsided, and the sore throat will stick around until Wednesday or Thursday. Then the coughing begins.

I've learned cough management for my colds. I cough a lot at night, and whenever my breathing starts to slow down (ie, when I'm sitting still in class for a while.) A knock-you-out cough suppressant works through the night, and I learn to regulate my breathing during the day. When I notice my breathing starting to slow, I'll take a few deep breaths. That in itself will cause a bout of coughing, but nothing like what I would have normally.

This sucks. I can't even begin to tell you how much this sucks. I was already peeved that I was going to be visited by the red menace during my trip to Wisconsin. Having to deal with coughs is going to doubly suck.

But I am going. The only way they'll be able to keep me at home is if I get put in the hospital.

I felt reasonably ok this morning, and got my laundry done. Sometime between laundry and work the fever hit. I ran off to the store and loaded up on cough syrups, cough drops, and Advil. I also got some beef stew fixins and made stew in my crock-pot. drool It came out really well. It was so nice to come home to an apartment that smelled delicious. Now I just have to clean up. Ick.

There's no sidebar today because I don't have the mental capacity to deal with it. I'm going to clean up the kitchen a bit, take a looooooong, hot, steamy shower, dose myself up with some Nyquil, and crawl into bed. Sleep should help me kick this thing.

Wish me luck.

moan... Pity me.