The last three weeks have been really rough on me. First, I got my yearly bout of bronchitis. I had forgotten how much a human body could cough, and how much additional pain this could cause you to feel when you already have more than enough pain to deal with on a daily basis. Every muscle in my upper body felt like someone had beaten me, and every time I coughed, it felt like the person doing the beating came back to just give me a reminder that it wasn't over yet. The fever made me feel ever more miserable, moving back and forth between burning up and chills, not to mention the killer headache! Let me just say, that I was in full blown misery!
After about two weeks, things started to go back to normal. The coughing started to subside, the fever went down, and the muscle aches began to ease. I thought that I was going to survive, and I was actually happy about that fact! In fact, I was rather proud of myself for getting through this bout of the creeping crud without actually killing one of my family members, and with a minimum of whining. I was actually starting to feel like my old self, with my normal, everyday aches and pains, which I have learned to live with over the years. I even bragged that it hadn't been all that bad, even though I knew I was sort of lying.
There is an old joke that says "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". Over the weekend, I learned the truth of this saying in a most miserable way. By Thursday, I was really feeling well, and I decided that I was going to Accomplish Something. I wasn't sure what that Something would be, but I was convinced that nothing would stop me from doing this miraculous Something. I spent Friday running a few errands, although I knew this wasn't what I planned to accomplish. On Saturday, I decided that Sunday would be the day for my great act.
Cue God's laughter. Saturday evening, I thought that I was hungry. The boys weren't home, and Dale only wanted a sandwich for dinner. I had some frozen pizza's in the fridge, and I decided that sounded really good. While the oven was heating up, I started to think that maybe hungry wasn't exactly what I was feeling, but I still couldn't put my finger on it. As the pizza started to cook and I started to smell it, I knew it definitely not hunger that I was feeling! Just getting the pizza out of the oven was a test, and I told Dale to get rid of it as I ran for the nearest bathroom. I won't share all the gory details, but I will say that I wasn't sure if I should sit on the toilet, or hang over it.
All thoughts of being such a wonderful patient during the first illness were gone! My excellent patient status was a distant memory! As soon as the fever hit, I was in full poor, pitiful me mode. I don't remember ever feeling this bad! The fever roared back with a vengeance, and that person who was beating me before came back with new found zeal. All of the muscle aches which had gone away were ten times worse. I must admit that I passed right by whining and went to full on crying! At one point, I begged Dale to just shoot me and put me out of my misery. Luckily, we don't own a gun.
Today, I am feeling much better. The fever is gone, and the muscle aches are starting to recede once again. Although, I am still living on toast and ginger ale. I did, however, break down and make coffee this morning because I had to have it. So far, the coffee is staying put. I'm sure it is the combination of two illnesses in a very short time period, but I feel as weak as a kitten at the moment. In fact, as I sit here writing this, I am starting to break out in a sweat, which is ridiculous, and I am really looking forward to getting back in bed.
Like my title says, it isn't easy being sick when you're already sick. Because of my fibro and back problems, I have had horrible pain throughout this ordeal. Today is the first day I've been able to take my medication. My reserves of strength have been sorely depleted, and I am not bouncing back the way I think that I should. I still feel whiny, to be perfectly honest, and I wish I was six again and home with mommy taking care of me. I mean no disrespect to the male population, but you really don't know how to baby someone when they are sick. And I need some babying at the moment. I also know that my dear family is ready for me to be well, because I have really thrown a monkey wrench into the way my household operates. Hopefully, in another day or two, I will be back to my old self again. In the meantime, I'm going to give myself permission to wallow in a little more self pity.
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