December 28, 2006
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Sick Day
Soon after I woke today, I started coughing. Maybe it was the cough that woke me. I don’t know. I wake up slow, and can’t be sure of what’s going on for a while after, to all outward appearances, I become conscious.
I coughed about fifteen or twenty minutes, long enough for my diaphragm and abdominal muscles to burn. I’m a non-smoker and there was no apparent environmental cause, such as a smoky woodstove or burning food, for my cough. I was in no rush to roll out of bed. Since Doug was willing to brew and serve coffee, I stayed there a while longer.
Mid-afternoon, when the thoracic burn had receded into a dull ache, I started sneezing. That fit didn’t last as long by the clock as the coughing had, but it was long enough to make the back of my throat and my nasal-sinus passages feel as if they’d been sandblasted.
If I chose to think of these sensations as “pain” I’d probably be whimpering and begging for drugs to take it away. But I know that pain is just a negative response to a positive stimulus, so I’m not hurting. I’m simply experiencing a number of interesting, unusual, and fairly uncomfortable sensations.
The most obtrusive of these sensations right now is centered on a lymph node on the right side of my throat. It is approximately the size of a smallish pecan, and both firm and sensitive to touch. Swallowing or turning my head induces hot, tight, tearing sensations up my neck, down my arm and across my chest.
And no, in case you’re thinking I should “have it seen” by someone with a medical degree, that would be pointless. This lymph node crap has been with me for years, just some of the immune system manifestations of whatever new infection has brought on the coughing and sneezing. Besides, I’m too sick to go to the clinic.
I crawled out of bed an hour or so ago with an idea I’ve been percolating for weeks. I’ll get it blogged someday when I’m feeling more energetic and coherent. This evening, I managed to find some suitable sources to link for background and supporting information. I’ve saved the links. Now, I’m going to crawl back into bed.
I hope you got all the Xmas goodies you wanted and a few sweet surprises you hadn’t anticipated. If you’re wise and prudent, you’ll stay off the streets, roads, and highways on New Year’s Eve. As Ed McMahon said, it’s “amateur night,” when everyone is drunk, not just the professional drunks. It’s dangerous out there.
Comments (12)
i am sorry to hear that you aren’t feeling well… hope you get back to your normal self soon… and for us we are home for the next round of celebrations…
I am so sorry to hear of your unfortunate day. I know you’ll get over it.. but it still sucks to get hit like that… at our age, I hate losing a day to feeling crappy. Just one more reason that pauline and I like to stick to ourselves.. too many sickies out there waiting to share the joy.
Here’s to having a speedy recovery.
In your mind at least… Dance On!
No, really. You really, really, really, really, really should trust someone else with your own lymph nodes.
Water. Lots of it.
Oh honey … I just want to hold you and snuggle with you. Even if you go “ewwwww! leemee alone! ewwwww!” and try to squirm away. I’d laugh, because you’re so weak! HAH! I win.
Now listen up, okay? The Silent Shogun went in for his ground training pilot’s manual earlier today, and signed up for his private license training beginning January 10. By the time he graduates from high school this June he’ll have it. In fact, by the time he turns 18 this April 8, he’ll have it. He’s going to go full tilt boogie on the program, and by the time he is 19 he will have his commercial license. Then guess what?
Yeah, he’s gonna fly his ass out to Alaska and take you on that ride. Got it?
So you can’t get too sick … think of it as a purging, and get well. Dammit. Or … no rides across the tundra sky for you lassie.
I like the Fey’s idea of thinking of it as purging…I’m going to view mine the same way. Feel better, okay?
I hope you feel better SOON!
and that 2007 finds you feeling great all year round.
Hang in there, snoodles–just got a flash–maybe the cough et al was a sort of toxic reaction to your “new” diet–kinda like how guay makes you sicker at first. . .
Hope you feel better soon.
Are you feeling any better tonight?
Glad you stopped by. I’d think about ya from time to time while I was wandering thru hell last year; wondering how y’all were up there.
I was thinking about what you said in response to my last entry; and it is funny how artists never “make it” until they capture the attention of someone wealthy. I put my prints up for sale merely as an option. Kind of a “Hey it’s out there if ya want it”, but I’m so focused on comic books right now that I can’t ever see myself being a professional “print” or “gallery” artist. I’m a storyteller (you know how that goes). It’s why I learned to draw in the first place: so people would take my writing seriously.
Hope you are feeling well again…well as good as you can feel that is but hopefully you are over from being sick… i do hope you have a Happy New Year’s Eve and i wish for the coming year to bring you peace, less pain, and joy in your life… It is a pleasure getting to know you these past few months and i hope to get to know you even better in the coming year…
Blessings to my new friend….
When I gave up booze, I found out how much fun is to be had sober! I don’t all those folks with sore heads and sour stomachs today!
Happy New Year!