Little Bit Of Catch-Up

So I have a bit of catching up to do on the 'ol blog here, for those of you chomping at the bit to know what it is I'm doing with my ever so fabulous life on a daily basis.

My Dad is still in the hospital, still on a ventilator and still sedated. They tried to take him off of the ventilator and he freaked out. I think he's worried that he won't breathe on his own. So, they'll wean him off of it I guess without him even knowing til he just realizes he's doing it all by himself! They also tried to wean him off of the sedation and he became too agitated, so they'll have to wean him off of that as well. It's one step forward, one step back for him, but hopefully brighter days are ahead. It's just amazing to me that a man that has really never been ill or in the hospital in all of his seventy-three years has now been in for months and that it has all come down to THIS. It's definitely infinitely harder on all of us because he's in North Carolina, and we are here.

I got a sore throat, suddenly, on Wednesday night last week. Just as I was going to bed, my throat suddenly felt sore and scratchy and swallowing felt painful. For Thursday and Friday it still felt that way, and I did all of my old standbys. Saline nose drops, warm water with salt gargling, tea, toast and honey. I even tried some horrific concoction I found online that involved drinking vinegar and lemon juice and salt. That burned like a mofo. By Friday night, I was seriously hurting. I decided a trip to the clinic was in order, but I wouldn't be able to get there til Sunday. So, I'd battle through. I added Benadryl day and night pills, Cloraseptic throat spray and overdosed on Sucrets and Cloraseptic like a junkie on a crack binge. Relief was not in sight. I was up most of the nights, alternating between sipping water and gargling salt. Mother's Day was the "clinic day." Well, it was supposed to be. Nothing in my small town was open. Great. My neighbour and husband looked in my now disgusting throat and said it must be strep. Oh, and eased my now fevered mind by telling me that a twenty-nine year old woman here died from undiagnosed or untreated strep. Reassuring folks, aren't they? By last night, I, a grown woman, was in tears with a throat that felt like I was swallowing shards of glass with each gulp.

So, today, finally, I headed to the clinic in town. The doctor checked me out and said it wasn't strep. What a relief! However, his diagnosis was not as pleasing to me as that last fact. He said that many, many people were coming in with what I had. He said most on day two or three when they couldn't take the pain anymore, not day five. I told him I'm stubborn. He said it's a viral thing going around that's really brutal. Starts off with the shards of glass sore throat for a few days. In the next day or two, I'll notice it has moved into my sinuses and that it'll start breaking up in my throat. What will ensue is horrific to me. He said I will start spitting up huge CHUNKS of white, thick, lumpy mucous for a few days to week. WHAT??? Dis-gus-ting. Anyone who knows me well knows that this, surely, will lead to gagging or even vomit on my part. Next, after that delightful phase, will be headaches and sinus/facial pain for another week. All in all, a little over two weeks. And all I can do to treat this? Gargle salt water. Use saline solution. Use Advil Day and Night. Rest. Ummm. Again, reassuring. Something to look forward to I'm sure. He said I seemed to be "a pretty generally healthy lady" (lady?) and was amazed that I haven't been on any kind of antibiotics in about five years. I again reiterated to him that I'm generally also stubborn.

Other than the breakdown last night, my Mother's Day was good. I was treated to breakfast in bed and a TON of craft work by my kids telling me how much they loved me and why. Really, those are the best gifts. They also got me some straightening spray and a hair straightener. (Mine is archaic. It's the 90's kind with the crimping or waving plates included? Enough said) I also got a long, six photo, picture frame filled with photos of my girls and I. It was all really, really nice. My poor husband though. He had planned a fabulous meal of salmon and tuna steaks on the barbecue, along with rice and grilled veggies. I ate about four bites of each and went to bed. And then started bawling about my throat. Niiiice.

I'm feeling mostly fatigued and just waiting for the horror to continue with this virus, knowing full well that I can't really pause this week. No rest for the wicked! I still have the daycare, I have Spanish lessons again on Thursday (more about that to come), there are classes tomorrow night, swimming on Friday. Phew.

I guess I'll rest on the seventh day.