Sunday, January 30, 2005

I hate being sick

I knew it was coming. Last Tuesday, I had the slight tinge of feeling sick. I dismissed it as just the stresses of finals week coupled with the demands of my master's classes as they heated up. Thursday night I fell asleep on the couch for three hours, prompting a restless night of sleep. By Friday, I was definitely feeling sick.

Enter the pain medication. The Advil Liqui-Gels eliminated the sore throat pain and allowed me to have a pretty normal day. I was feeling no other symptoms. By Friday night, I was run down and then had another restless night. I hardly slept at all and got up roughly every hour to repeat the routine of sip of water, swallow painfully, check the clock, roll over. I decided I needed to get to the clinic to see what the problem was.

After a long drive home from Seattle and another long wait at the walk-in clinic, I found out that I have some sort of viral sore throat. The nurse said she had been seeing quite a bit of it. At least it is not strep throat (although that could be cured faster). Now I basically just have to "ride it out" for a few more days.

My kitchen counter looks like some sort of alchemist's lab with various home remedies and methods to mitigate the pain in my throat, including Chloraseptic spray, hard candies, Tang and salt to gargle. Tylenol PM made Saturday night a lot more bearable, and I think I have rounded the bend toward recovery. Probably another day of rest and not talking would be best, but I think I can bear being at school instead -- it is the first day of the new semester, and my absence would most likely just add to the confusion I already expect.

Of course, I could also be headed for a relapse. I hope not.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.

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