linky do's!

Monday, July 16, 2012

the summer plague

this is the third summer in a row that i got hit with a summer cold.  other years they lasted only a couple of days.  this year's really walloped me.

the plague started with the boy.  we left for vacation with him coughing.  i thought maybe it was his asthma kicked up by the heat and stupid me neglected to bring his inhaler with.  after 2 days of his wet cough and lethargy, we found ourselves at lancaster general's urgent care center on an early sunday morning.  i was hoping for a nebulizer treatment (it usually kicks the gunk out of his lungs) and an inhaler.  he was diagnosed with a cold virus (it was going around) and a script for an inhaler.

poor kid.  he didn't sleep well on the trip (he was relegated to the spare couch) and every morning we had to rouse him hard to wake up.  i blew through a packet of tissues at the amusement park as his nose constant ran.  on our last day, i scheduled an appointment at the peds at home becos the boy wasn't any better (plus urgent care advised having a follow up) and petunia was running a fever and acting lethargic.  hubby and i hustled the kids home while mom and dad ran for produce, baked goods and amish meats and cheeses and met up at home later.  the ped confirmed viral cold and advised rest and fluids and tylenol for fever and aches.

the next day the boy slept until noon.  petunia perked up.

meanwhile i had a cough of my own and i chalked it up to the crummy hot air and my asthma.  friday night we went to my class reunion dinner where i greeted everyone with a hug and a cough.  saturday morning i woke up feeling like i was hit by a truck.  i dragged my butt to the boy's soapbox derby (luckily it was just a block away) but i left early becos i felt so rank.  i had no cold medicine except some old advil congestion which did nothing.  when the kiddos went down for naps, hubby ran to the store and got me cold medicine and ginger ale.  i slept off and on all day.  my class reunion picnic was in the afternoon, and altho i made an awesome greek pasta salad for it and had all our picnic things at the ready, the idea of spending the day in the heat with a snotty nose didn't appeal (plus i didn't want to share our wealth of the plague with the rest of my classmates).

the next morning hubby went to church and the rest of us stayed behind.  the boy was to go along as well but he slept in.  i honestly don't remember anything about sunday except watching bits of sherlock holmes: a game of shadows which i fell back to sleep midway through.  both saturday and sunday i barely ate anything and drinking was an effort.  my sinuses were stuffed, i couldn't breathe, and the pressure made my teeth hurt and right eye water.

monday hubby went back to work and i spent the day on the sofa.  the kiddos had free reign of the tv.  we watched a lot of caillou.  tuesday was the same, and i had a bit more energy, but i still felt wiped.  this was the day petunia loafed on the chair, and freddie played by himself.  the boy holed himself up in the man cave.

wednesday was independence day and hubby was home from work.  normally we'd spend it at the craft show at pineknotters days but going out in the heat, with the crowds, with a drippy nose with equally drippy mopey kids ended that.  we didn't even have food for celebration so hubby ran for some KFC.  it was my first real meal in days but even the dollop of potatoes and the biscuit made me sick.  hubby and i had zero appetites (did i forget that hubby and i had tummy issues as well?  fun times.) and we had lots leftover.  somehow i managed to finish my mystery shawl.  we also watched the nathan's hotdog eating contest (watching them chow down made me nearly puke) and the boston pops at night.  i felt better, but still so weak.

i also had 2 days of killer migraines.  i have no idear if it was the sinus pressure, the hot weather and atmospheric pressure, or the fact that i started provera and they were hormonal migraines.  more fun times!

on friday i had a check up with my GP, who noticed my coughing and stuffy nose (i also had to do a breathing test and the results were not stellar).  i was surprised to learn that there were no cold viruses reported in the area and apparently what i had i picked up while on vacation.  i walked out of her office with a script for a ten day supply of antibiotics.  it was the first time i got meds without groveling!

the boy is pretty much over his cold.  once we got home, we could use his regular inhaler with the chamber (it helps him get more medicine in his lungs).  petunia and freddie would tag team symptom days.  freddie would have yellow caterpillars coming from his nose; petunia cried when i used the blue bulb syringe to siphon snot from her nose.  shame i learned about the Nosefrida too late.  hubby's been keeping the cold at bay for days;  he used a zinc spray he got when he bought my medicine.  maybe it was the zinc; maybe it was his strong constitution.  he rarely gets sick - lucky guy!


i'm feeling better now and slowly working my way back.  this was by far one of the worst summer colds i ever had.  i used to never get sick in the summer, but i guess i can count on at least one viral doozy now.  

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments? Questions? Feel free drop me a line!