Monday, September 13, 2004
Don't Call It A Comeback
I've been out of commission for a little while now but I'm back to tell you all about it.
Remember a few weeks ago when I was sick? Well, I went to the doctor and found out that I had tonsillitis and was given a ten-day supply of Amoxicillin. At the same time, Maggie was also on a ten-day supply of Amoxicillin for a sinus infection. Our prescriptions ran out on the same day and you know what? We were both sick again the next day! It was so bad this time we both went to the emergency room where we found out that we both had strep throat. The doctors gave us a prescription for Zithromax this time. It’s some antibiotic that takes half as long to work as your normal antibiotic or something. It costs a lot so it must be good.
So, two days into this new drug neither Maggie nor I were getting any better. I know for a fact I was getting worse. I hadn’t been able to sleep for days, was fighting with a fever that would either make me sweat like crazy or shake like I was freezing to death. The only way I found to somewhat control my body temperature was to take cold showers….very much like that scene in Jacob’s Ladder where he had to take a bath in ice cubes. Not much fun. My throat had swollen up so much that I couldn’t really eat, drink or swallow and could hardly talk. We decided it would be best if I went back to the ER to see what they could do for me.
So, back in the ER again I was hooked up to several bags of Saline and given a few more intravenous antibiotics as well as painkillers. I thought they’d just let me get doped up and send me on my way, not this time. They had other plans for my Friday night. They decided that since my throat was so swollen and I was having such a hart time breathing that they’d keep me in the hospital for observation so I didn’t choke to death in my sleep. Fair enough, I guess, but I don’t like staying in the hospital one bit.
The stay was, as you’d expect a hospital stay to be, quite annoying. I couldn’t get comfortable and couldn’t sleep. There was nothing on TV to watch and I had to get up to use the bathroom every 20 minutes or so. No one really bothered me all night since I had a private room, but come morning I knew it was time to get out of there. As soon as the sun came up “Mr. Male Nurse” was on duty and was all gung-ho to give me a shower or a sponge bath. I swear, he asked me like three separate times in about two hours if I wanted to take a shower or a sponge bath.
“Do you really want to wait until you get all the way home to wash up?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
He just could not believe I’d prefer my shower at home to him. I guess some other people are blown away by his sponging skills, but I guess I’ll never know.
So, anyway, I’m home now and I’m feeling much better. I’ve still got some little things to deal with like a sore throat and some congestion, but I can live with that for now. I’m on steroids now to help bring down the swelling in my throat. And I’m smoking a lot less (as he lights up a fresh cigarette).
Maggie is slowly getting better but I wish she were better already. She’s still got strep and yet she has to go to work because there is no one to help out at her work. Not to mention, the bosses say that no one can take any time off anymore. Sounds fair, eh? I just hope she doesn’t end up in the ER for an extended stay like me.
I had some good talks with some of the nurses the other night and I think they made me realize that I can get my tonsils taken out still. Both of the nurses I talked to were in their twenties when they had their tonsils out and they said it was pretty easy and helped a lot. I really can’t imagine a life without strep. What would I do with all of my free time? I’m usually in the ER about four times a year for this shit. So, I’m going to meet with my doctor and see about getting a tonsillectomy. It’s not just for kids anymore.
In unrelated news: I have a job interview at the “cool” record store in town today. I’m not so sure how I feel about this because I want this job very much but I may have to have surgery sometime soon and if that’s the case, what then? One step at a time I guess. All I can tell you for sure is that disability insurance is a joke. I am getting disability now but it’s not really that useful when you can only afford to pay for your health insurance and medicines every month.
Wish me luck.
Remember a few weeks ago when I was sick? Well, I went to the doctor and found out that I had tonsillitis and was given a ten-day supply of Amoxicillin. At the same time, Maggie was also on a ten-day supply of Amoxicillin for a sinus infection. Our prescriptions ran out on the same day and you know what? We were both sick again the next day! It was so bad this time we both went to the emergency room where we found out that we both had strep throat. The doctors gave us a prescription for Zithromax this time. It’s some antibiotic that takes half as long to work as your normal antibiotic or something. It costs a lot so it must be good.
So, two days into this new drug neither Maggie nor I were getting any better. I know for a fact I was getting worse. I hadn’t been able to sleep for days, was fighting with a fever that would either make me sweat like crazy or shake like I was freezing to death. The only way I found to somewhat control my body temperature was to take cold showers….very much like that scene in Jacob’s Ladder where he had to take a bath in ice cubes. Not much fun. My throat had swollen up so much that I couldn’t really eat, drink or swallow and could hardly talk. We decided it would be best if I went back to the ER to see what they could do for me.
So, back in the ER again I was hooked up to several bags of Saline and given a few more intravenous antibiotics as well as painkillers. I thought they’d just let me get doped up and send me on my way, not this time. They had other plans for my Friday night. They decided that since my throat was so swollen and I was having such a hart time breathing that they’d keep me in the hospital for observation so I didn’t choke to death in my sleep. Fair enough, I guess, but I don’t like staying in the hospital one bit.
The stay was, as you’d expect a hospital stay to be, quite annoying. I couldn’t get comfortable and couldn’t sleep. There was nothing on TV to watch and I had to get up to use the bathroom every 20 minutes or so. No one really bothered me all night since I had a private room, but come morning I knew it was time to get out of there. As soon as the sun came up “Mr. Male Nurse” was on duty and was all gung-ho to give me a shower or a sponge bath. I swear, he asked me like three separate times in about two hours if I wanted to take a shower or a sponge bath.
“Do you really want to wait until you get all the way home to wash up?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
He just could not believe I’d prefer my shower at home to him. I guess some other people are blown away by his sponging skills, but I guess I’ll never know.
So, anyway, I’m home now and I’m feeling much better. I’ve still got some little things to deal with like a sore throat and some congestion, but I can live with that for now. I’m on steroids now to help bring down the swelling in my throat. And I’m smoking a lot less (as he lights up a fresh cigarette).
Maggie is slowly getting better but I wish she were better already. She’s still got strep and yet she has to go to work because there is no one to help out at her work. Not to mention, the bosses say that no one can take any time off anymore. Sounds fair, eh? I just hope she doesn’t end up in the ER for an extended stay like me.
I had some good talks with some of the nurses the other night and I think they made me realize that I can get my tonsils taken out still. Both of the nurses I talked to were in their twenties when they had their tonsils out and they said it was pretty easy and helped a lot. I really can’t imagine a life without strep. What would I do with all of my free time? I’m usually in the ER about four times a year for this shit. So, I’m going to meet with my doctor and see about getting a tonsillectomy. It’s not just for kids anymore.
In unrelated news: I have a job interview at the “cool” record store in town today. I’m not so sure how I feel about this because I want this job very much but I may have to have surgery sometime soon and if that’s the case, what then? One step at a time I guess. All I can tell you for sure is that disability insurance is a joke. I am getting disability now but it’s not really that useful when you can only afford to pay for your health insurance and medicines every month.
Wish me luck.
