What H1N1 means to me…
Do you remember how in elementary school you’d be asked to write essays like “What freedom means to me….” or “What liberty means to me….” or independence, or something else?
Well, now that I’m on the upswing (I hope!), of the H1N1, bronchitis, conjuctivitis (pink eye) bout, I can look at it with a bit of humor.
I was cleaning up the countertops yesterday with bleach wipes (again), and was shuffling around my various boxes and bottles of over-the-counter and prescription medications and stuff. I realized how it looked…
…. what is the word I’m looking for?…
…striking?…
… unbelievable?…
… goofy?…
…crazy?…
I don’t know exactly what I’m searching for. But regardless, I decided that I needed to take a photo of it.
Short update:
I thought I was better as of Monday. On Tuesday I had a large weight on my chest and felt like my breathing was constricted. After MUCH time at Urgent Care (again), they concluded that I was NOT having a heart attack (I didn’t think so, but better to be safe than sorry), and that my bronchials had constricted.
Got an inhaler. Had a slight allergic reaction to the inhaler. Took steroids. Tried inhaler again. After a day, had some odd throat tightness/feeling. Went to primary care doctor. Got a different inhaler. Maybe the throat feeling is acid reflux? Bought a bunch of Zantac.
Which, by the way, is a histamine receptor blocker AND will help with my skin allergies, because approx 10-15% of your histamine receptors are on your skin! Cool beans.
The good news is that my lungs are super clear; I just have to deal with my odd bronchial situation.
Took 3 days off of work. Had to find people to cover my lab (easy) and lecture (harder).
Slept a lot.
This isn’t so short, is it?
Well, you know me. I’m a bit of a rambler (I write, as I cough).
I am calling myself a walking example of why you should get an H1N1 vaccine. No, I wasn’t on death’s door, but it sure really wiped me out.
I hope you are healthy!
HB's Mom says:
So glad you are feeling better! H1N1 is nothing to fool around with that is for sure. I hope you continue to feel better this week! Love, HB’s Mom & Dad
Jenski says:
Hope you’re still on the mend! And I give you HUUUUUUGE kudos for getting replacements for you lectures. I am SO tired of faculty walking around here sick and saying how they have no choice. I told one woman that she was a public health hazard. Also, when I was so sick over the summer, there’s no way that I could have safely driven the hour this particular woman drives to get to work.
Just think how strong your immune system is now.
Amber says:
I hope you are feeling better/on the mend!
That is some serious medication, but I completely understand.
And I saw tea in the background. Tea is definitely nice, isn’t it?
Denise says:
Wow Danielle. I was considering skipping the immunization, but after seeing what you’ve gone through, my butt will be down at the health department STAT. I’m in a Neuro unit of the hospital, but I’m still at high risk of catching that nasty bug. Hang in there, drink your fluids and get some rest.
Squirl says:
So sorry you were sick! I’m glad you were smart enough to stay home. It’s so easy to pass this one on, as you well know. We need to get over our obsession with expecting sick people to still show up for work. I need to catch up on the next post to see how you’re doing.