Wednesday, April 8, 2009

As Good As Tap Water

So, this weekend, I got this terrible anthrax. That is to say, some sort of really truly horrible disease. This sore throat that began bothering me Wednesday, and was at that time, only mildly annoying, until it really began its crescendo.
By this weekend, I was a mess. Here I am, trying to wean myself off painkillers, so that I can be trusted alone with my children, because Eric was headed back to work on Monday. By Saturday I could barely talk, so great was the amount of Guck clogging up the back of my throat. By Sunday the only way I could talk was if I gargled with Salt Water every hour. I had a monster headache which I realized was from clenching my forehead, jaw, and cheek muscles whenever I swallowed because the pain was so great. I could only drink something if it was really REALLY HOT, or really really cold. I could only eat if it was a chaser to some drink; things like yogurt, pudding, and milkshakes seemed to go down easier than things I had to chew. Friends brought us food, and I could barely eat it. This was by far the WORST sore throat I'd ever had in my life. By Sunday evening, I had lost the ability to gargle. The back of my throat and tongue were so thick, I couldn't put together the voice and air required to gargle. I would just hold the salt water in the back of my throat with my head tilted back. That area was so inflammed and sore, swallowing was misery, and nothing touched it. Chloroseptic barely touched it, just would numb me enough to be able to fall asleep. I was drinking tea by the potful, and soaking lemons in it. The antibiotic wasn't working, I was only feeling worse. I was bursting into tears from the pain. The only times I could eat (I didn't figure this out for a while, I just thought I'd get waves of feeling better) were when I was in the Prime of my Darvocet, between 1-3 hours from taking it, and I was taking it every 4 hours or so. Eric was worried, he said it wasn't right that Darvocet was the only medication that was giving me relief from a sore throat.
It wasn't until he said that I realized how bad shape I was really in.
So, first thing Monday morning, after a particularly tear-filled and horrendously painful night I headed for the doctor. They open at 8:30, but I was in such a hurry, and we had to get Chris on the bus at 9, and Eric wanted to go to work. Eric dropped me off on their doorstep. I took Darvocet so at least they'd be able to understand me, then went in and apologized for being "that patient" that just shows up unannounced, but even as I was telling them my symptoms I started crying, and that was working REALLY hard at not crying. I didn't just burst into tears, more like a steady leakage. Luckily, I had Sam with me, and he just distracts everyone with his cuteness, so it seemed that no one minded that I crashed the party.
My doctor took a look in my throat, and I was greatly reliefed, indeed Validated, when he said, Gross. He didn't like the look of the right side, which is where it seemed to be infiltrating my jawbone and creeping into my ear. My ears looked good though. Worst case scenario, it could be an absess. But it wasn't viral or it would've been done and over with. So, he prescribed me a new antibiotic, Omnicef.
God bless the scientists that created Omnicef!
OK, picture it, I'm on the Darvocet, we drop off the antibiotic script, and since we must wait, well, the boy takes me for breakfast at Starbucks, and my latest favorite a Chai Tea Latte. I wash down my pill with my Chai, and I'm not kidding by the time I finished that drink, I felt better. Within hours, I sounded better. By the time Eric got home I was thrilled to report I was genuinely thirsty!
It had been days, since Eric had offered me my regular glass of water to drink while nursing, but by Monday night, I was back wanting it again. I had been only drinking ice water with lemon, or hot tea with lemon. But I am pleased to report that now I am healthy enough to drink water right from the tap.
I know it sounds like a crazy thing, to be so happy about being able to drink tap water, or even better yet, something room temperature. But it had been getting downright inconvenient to only be able to drink HOT or COLD, and even those items still hurt when drinking.
I am getting better. I still have a mildly annoying sore throat. Oh happy day.
We've had a few visitors over the last couple days, and I've had no less than 3 people tell me I look Fabulous! It's the weirdest thing, but now that I'm over the hump of this absolutely horrible sore throat, and that all I'm dealing with is the whole having a baby thing, I feel SO much better.
Today I managed to avoid Darvocet All Day Long. AND we picked up my car, and I drove it home with Eric following, but we made it home in one piece. I feel huge progress has been made since I drove today. Of course, after our short drive, I had to take a nap. Eric worked full days yesterday and today, and I was able to care for Sam and Chris! But when evening rolls around, and Eric has been having things to do at church, well, he's been taking Chris with him. I may be looking fabulous, and feeling a million times better, drug free and getting healthier every minute...but I did just have a baby, and get my gut slashed in the process. So 2 crazy kiddoes all day AND in the evening too has still proven too much for me to yet handle alone. Perhaps another day soon....
And that's how I feel, as good as tap water. It may not be the best, not super awesome, but when you haven't had any in days, it is fabulous.

1 comments:

Jenibug7 said...

yay!!! i am SO glad!!!!!