Sick

Well, the bug finally caught me. I've managed to escape germs and viruses despite numerous trips to the hospital and doctors' offices over the past year but now that I am getting back to walking well on my own and getting stronger physically, I catch a cold which turns into bronchitis! On top of that my asthma keeps trying to act up and have been having to use my inhaler, which I don't like using because it gives me the jitters. I've never taken illicit drugs, but from what I have read I think that Albuterol inhalers could have the same effect as speed.

This all started on Friday when I felt that little soreness in the back of my throat on one side and behind my nose and into my ear. I was trying to ignore it, but then by late evening I knew it was going to turn into something bigger. Saturday, my nose was running and I felt feverish. Jon and I went to Lowes to get some flowers and other things. Then on the way home we stopped at Walgreen's and I got some Cold-eze lozenges and some Zicam swabs, determined to stop this in its tracks. While those products seemed to get me through the intolerable scratchy throat phase faster, the germs just marched right on down to my chest and Saturday night I was miserable. Sunday was bad, and finally yesterday I phoned my doctor to see if she could get me in. And guess what? She was at a medical convention and won't be back until next week! Arrrggghhh! AND the person she had covering for her was a doctor I absolutely do not trust and refuse to go to. So, I resorted to Immediate Care.

I tried to search on the insurance site to see which Immediate and Urgent Care places were on our plan, but their website was down. So Jon called the insurance company from work and they did find some clinics in our area and emailed them to me. I wasn't thrilled about going to Joliet to go to a doctor, but this turned out to be a fairly nice clinic and nice doctors who seem to know what they are doing. The kind Indian doctor who took care of me pronounced that I have bronchitis and need to be on an antibiotic. So, I started Zithromycin yesterday and starting to feel better already. The fever is down and I managed to sleep six hours straight through last night.

The doctor said if I am no better in a week to come back and they will give me something else, but this seems to be doing the trick already so probably won't need it.

An ugly side-effect is a big ol' cold sore that is forming on my lip under my nose and across my upper lip!!! It happens every time I get sick or stressed!