Monday, June 04, 2007

Sleeping with Bread: Baking Under the Influence

Updated below with some miscellany.

It's allergies! It's a cold! It's a sinus infection!

I don't know what the heck it is, but I am in Day 11 of Sinus Congestion 2007. I just need my own nifty graphic and we could follow this story minute by minute with a ticker across the bottom of each posts until the crisis passes.

It all started innocently enough with my helping a friend deliver and set up 30 floral arrangements. The next morning I woke up with a scratch throat and runny nose. It's allergies, I say to myself and anyone else who'll listen to me. Medicine: the usual allergy regime: Claritin, Astelin, RhinoCort, Ricola lozenges.

A couple of days later, my head becomes more heavy and clogged with congestion. I was feeling pretty bad so I stayed down for a couple of days. It's a cold, I say to myself and anyone else who'll listen to me. Medicine: I forgo the allergy regime and begin taking Tylenol Severe Allergy and Sinus with a couple of ibuprofen thrown in for the head pain, the Ricolas have run out and I'm now on Hall's lozenges.

I start feeling better, things seem to be breaking up. I sound bad but I tell everyone who is making sympathetic noises that I sound worse than I feel--and it's true. Medicine: I continue the Tylenol/ibuprofen/lozenge regime.

Friday. It's been a week. I'm feeling pretty draggy. Head Pain. Worsening congestion. Personal Training session, camping preparations, camping, bad air mattress, wedding to go to. I try my nasal wash thing. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you probably don't want to know.) The saline solution that is supposed to travel from Nostril A to Nostril B via my sinus cavity is stuck in Nostril A. Apparently it is so blocked it can't pass through. Time to see the doctor. I think I might have a sinus infection. Medicine regime remains the same.

Day 11. Well, the nice and lovely physician's assistant in the urgent care doesn't think I have a sinus infection. . . yet. She thinks it was probably an allergy reaction gone bad. She tells me to go back to my allergy meds--all of them, plus add Mucinex. All of them? Yes. Claritin? Yes. Astelin? Yes. RhinoCort? Yes. And add Mucinex? Yes. She also writes me a prescription for an antibiotic in case things don't clear up in the next few days.

I don't think I have ever taken that much medication at one time. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that it all works itself out. In the meantime, forgive me if my typing is a little swervy and loopy!


You might guess that all of the above drama is my desolation for the week. Although there were times when I really did feel well, comparatively speaking, the blech was always there. It affected my ability to get things done which badly needed doing. It affected my efficiency in getting ready for the camping trip. It definitely reduced my enjoyment of the trip. If I were ever to have any illusions about my ability to "carry on" in spite of illness or injury, I have none now. I'm a wimp, plain and simple.

On the up side, there are always consolations to be found. Paul helped to pull things together for trip he probably wasn't thrilled to be making. Marley really enjoyed the camping. We were at a state park with a beach and she spent hours playing in the sand and hopping over the waves. We saw a couple of dozen dolphins just past the waves (or the same three dolphins over and over!) I got to visit with other moms from the class, get to know a couple of the dads better. The wedding we went to was so lovely and the couple are very nice and beautiful together (and so young). Their first dance was to a Johnny Cash song which I just love so much. It was recorded after his wife died and release after he died. The album is American V: A Hundred Highways. I don't know how it comes across in his voice, but you hear the melancholy, resignation, wisdom, longing, love.

Rose of My Heart


We're the best partners this world's ever seen,
Together as close as can be.
Sometimes it's hard to find time in between,
To tell you what you are to me.

You are the rose of my heart,
You are the love of my life.
A flower not fading nor falling apart,
If you're tired, rest your head on my arm.
Rose of my heart.

When sorrow holds you in her arms of clay,
It's rain drops that fall from your eyes.
Your smile's like the sun come to earth for a day,
You brighten my blackest of skies.

You are the rose of my heart,
You are the love of my life.
A flower not fading nor falling apart,
If you're cold, let my love make you warm.
Rose of my heart.

So hard times or easy times, what do I care,
There's nothing I'd change if I could.
The tears and the laughter are things that we share,
Your hand in mine makes all times good.

You are the rose of my heart,
You are the love of my life.
A flower not fading nor falling apart,
You're my harbor in life's restless storm. Rose of my heart.

Rose of my heart.


************************************

Miscellaneous Blog Business:

There's a new scenic view up (in the sidebar). This is a cool You Tube clip which features the faces of women in Western art over the last 500 years.

Also, in regards to the book recommendations. I ran to the library on Friday in the midst of all the camping preparations and grabbed whatever I could in five minutes from the list. I ended up with The Professor and the Madman, The Bright Forever and Stones from the River.

10 comments:

N. said...

What a wonderful wedding song.

I've done that neti pot thing and it is so bad when you squirt the water up and it doesn't come down. Mucous is amazing stuff.

Sending you happy healing thoughts

Julie Pippert said...

The thing is that there is no glory---or awards---for carrying on despite illness. After three years of chronic suffering, I actually find that while I can't be who I once was or how sometimes I wish I still was, and how sometimes I just have to parent from a prone position...I *have* carried on. Not always with grace, but always, anyway.

It sounds like you carried on too.

When you really feel bad, just getting up and going is carrying on (and deserves an award, LOL).

To carry on with a camping trip and wedding, and even have enjoyable memories is great. I'm glad.

And I hope you get better sooN!

Terri B. said...

Glad you've got The Professor and the Madman -- it will be a good read!

Hope you're on the road to a full recovery. Can't believe the Dr. wants you to take ALL of those!

EnnuiHerself said...

Aww, poor Mary-LUE . . .
:(

(makes sympathetic noises)

I hope the Sinus Congestion Crisis of 2007 is resolved in an expedient and timely fashion.

daisies said...

:( as a girl who suffers allergies and asthma ~ my heart feels for you ... hope you feel better soon!! xox

Anonymous said...

I once had what I was convinced was a sinus infection but was diagnosed by a PA as allergies. I've never had allergies. He prescribed allergy meds, and I was so miserable for so long.

Head congestion is just horrible.

Now I can't take decongestants (because of my heart) and I live in fear of a bad cold...

Get well

atypical said...

I am hoping you are soon able to breathe. I guess I should also throw in there that I hope you aren't like me. My sense of smell seems to come back gradually, and I only get the whiff of nasty stinks for the first few days.

Here's to hoping you soon get to leave all those medicines behind! I'm guessing it's nigh impossible to deal with the apnea when you are congested, too.

I'm very glad for your consolations! Happy reading!

-t

Aliki2006 said...

I tihnk I'm in the same boat as you--I've been having constant nasal congestion and a dry cough that comes and goes. I'm sure it's an allergy thing but boy, is it miserable.

I hope you feel better soon...

Sarah said...

The camping sounds great; I can't wait until we're brave enough to try that with the girls.
I love that Johnny Cash album. I actually bought it after one of the songs from it was played at the church that we attended in Houston. I like it as much as his old stuff now, plus it gets me all teary, which is good.

deedee said...

I love the words to that song.