Goin’ int’ th’ bag. Not.
I am done. Finished. Being sick, that is. For this round, anyway. Knock on wood as always. And I am about at the end of my rope with people everywhere from family members to people I run into at the Plum Market after umpteen million years warning me that I could get pneumonia and telling me how to avoid getting the common cold. I love y’all dearly but…
Yes. I was sick. Twice. On December 23rd (a whole blasted month ago), I woke up in the wee hours running like hell for the Blue and Only Toilet. I caught that yucky gastro virus directly from my daughter, who had just about completely recovered from it that very day. One horrible day of sucking ice chips, a second day of cheerios and ice water, three more days of being okay but with a very low appetite and I was fiiiiine!!! For about, lemme see, a week. Then. Whaddya know. Hello! Respiratory virus. The common cold. The two illnesses were NOT related. It was a NASTY respiratory virus. Two days off work with a low-grade fever. Cement in my respiratory tract for one of those days, giving way to intense coughing, sneezing, and blowing my nose, which has gradually but steadily subsided to the point that today, I only had two wimpy little coughing spells.
I do not and did not at any time have pneumonia. It was a baaaaaad virus and I know pneumonia is a possibility with cold viruses. But people who have pneumonia do not get up at zero-dark-30 in subzero temperatures, put their snowpants and stuff on and powerwalk around the neighborhood for an hour like I was doing by about day five. And they do not ski up and down hills for eight miles. The respiratory virus was in no way related to the gastro virus. It was coincidence that they occurred so close together. I am a FANATIC handwasher and I work in a sizable cubicle in an underpopulated building with absolutely spotless bathrooms. Believe me, we get an email from our overworked underpaid building receptionist if even a scrap of water is left standing by the sinks. The Commander is now doing a happy dance. She HATES puddles. And I keep windex wipes in my cubicle for my lucky-shuckial devices. How did I get it? The virus, I mean. I dunno.
I love you guys. REALLY! But I am FINE! And this is one day that I wish all those random people I keep running into around town were reading my blahg. So they’d quit bugging me.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
sometimes, it’s that otherwise innocent-appearing doorknob/handle that is the conduit of all that nastiness. And I 110% agree that the gastro & respiratory bugs are totally separate (in fact, the are indeed very different “germs”) and their proximity in time was sheer, unfortunate coincidence.
Took me a LONG time as a kid to understand that “flu” – which I’d always associated with the gastro-enteric flu bug – is *different* from “influenza”, which is the respiratory flu (which is the one that can result in pneumonia)… which is different from the “common cold”. With all the people who insist on going in to work (or school) when they are sick, it’s no surprise all three of these bugs spread like wildfire.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Yea, but, Ann, are you doing ok? I mean Vitamin C should help………. .:-)
January 27th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Are you OK?
January 27th, 2009 at 9:37 am
all right you wise guys. Sorry about the rant! 🙂
January 27th, 2009 at 10:50 am
I’m sure everybody who was giving you all the free advice* was surprised because so rarely do you catch anything. It’s possible that the gastro bug weakened your immune system enough that the respitory bug was able to nestle right in. The holidays mean that friends and family get together. Unfortunately, it also means that whatever germs we might have also get a chance to exchange gifts. Here, this is for you. For me? You shouldn’t have. Really, cough, cough, sniffle, you shouldn’t have! Glad to hear you are back to being your usual nuclear-powered self.
*”Advice is free, free and it’s worth every penny you paid for it.” –Harry
Maybe should return the favor to all those over-solicitous folks and tell them that the only way to beat a cold is to power walk for an hour every morning. Invite them to join you at Oh-Dark Thirty when the wind and snow are blowing. 😉
January 27th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
People are well-meaning, BUT it does get tiresome. It is the season when we catch viruses and life goes on. I have had much advice given to me about my ankle–some of which I’ve ignored. I have been walking and running on it. It’s who I am and since it’s getting better, I think it’s fine.