Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Dodging a Bullet

I usually post for New Year's but instead I’ve been incommunicado. Or rather, I’ve been sick. Sick and terrified that it would keep me out of the marathon, which is less than two weeks away. I figured if I didn't say it, it wouldn't be so.

It started when I spiked a fever Sunday night, completely out of the blue. The heat and chills, joint and sinus pain were bad, but what scared me was the cough. Once something settles into my lungs, I’m out of commission for up to a month, easy, and it wouldn't be the first or second time a bout with bronchitis kept me from the marathon at the last minute.

Holidays are a sucky time to be sick since the doctors are all on vacation, so for three days I fended for myself, dosing myself with every vitamin and herbal I had in my home arsenal and putting an extra clove of garlic into every bowl of soup. I ran a fever nearly the entire time, dripped and sneezed like mad, and am expecting my thank-you note from the Kleenex Corporation any day now for all the product I used.

Luckily the lung congestion turned out to be non-sticky in nature, and by today I was pretty sure it was only my sinuses that were the problem. And I do mean problem. It's no fun to wake up at 4 am feeling like your eyes and brain are about to pop out of your skull from your head being squeezed in a vise. It's the sort of pain that makes you want to cry, but since you know crying will make it worse, you don't. No bravery, just pure self-preservation.

I went to the doctor today and she confirmed I had a sinus infection and gave me meds. She also said my lungs were on the mend and to keep doing what I was doing. Yay! She gave me pain meds for the next couple days so I can sleep while the antibiotics get a handle on my sinuses, which is a relief-- no more waking up at 4 am and wishing someone would just beat my brains out and get it over with.

Since my temp has been normal since mid-morning today, I guess that means I can’t stay out another day from work. I would dearly like to and I think it would hasten my recovery, but I’ve only got one other person on my team this week because I let the other two have extended Christmas/New Year vacations. Dumb move in retrospect, but I was operating on the assumption that I would be there since I’m almost never sick, and even more rarely am I too sick to go to the office. I don’t believe in managing by exception, so. . .

At any rate, I’m feeling much better tonight and I might even go to the gym tomorrow after work and walk or do light elliptical work. It’s scary how you can get so used to being active that you feel bad when you’re not.

Here’s to dodging a bullet, and to a healthy 2008!

16 comments:

pacatrue said...

Whew. Close call. Stay healthy over there.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, Bunnygirl! I'm glad that you dodged a bullet, but I'm sorry to hear how badly you've been feeling. Keep taking good care of yourself -- I'm sending lots of virtual chicken soup! Sinus infections are no fun. I hope you're feeling 100% very soon!

MaoMao said...

Oh, Auntie Bunnygirl, I'm sorry you've felt sickies! Would it help if I telleported ofur and brunged you lotsa Salmon Temptayshuns????

Kittyhugs and purrs from MaoMao!

Anonymous said...

*donning my nurse's hat* -- okay, you are lying down and I am curled around your head, purring, purring, purring, purring. It's the purr cure! *smile*

I hope you're feeling 100% soon.

Warm snuggles and healing purrs from Marilyn.

Kappa no He said...

Wow, you run. that is one of my goals for this year. To build up my endurance and start jogging...or is it to start jogging to build up my endurance. Hope you feel perfectly better real soon!

Leah J. Utas said...

Sorry to hear you're sick. Sometimes conventional meds are the best answer. Meanwhile, I'm fighting a cold myself and found that compass plant works wonders. Took care of the sneezes and drips within minutes and lasted for hours. Not sure of the Latin name of it so that's nowhere near as much help as it could be.
Feel better soon.

Sun Runner said...

Whew-- close call. I hope you stay healthy for the marathon. My next half is still four months away, I haven't even started training yet, and I'm still freaking out about getting sick/injured ("what's that weird twinge in my left foot? why is my knee hurting?").

I totally hear you about the feeling bad for lack of exercise thing. It's amazing how lethargic and crabby I get after a couple of days of inactivity. I was finally able to get out for a five-mile run yesterday after not running since Sunday and it felt SO GOOD.

Anonymous said...

Feel better! Try Emergen-c! That's what my mom takes whenever she feels lousy!!!

~Lola the Lovely Lop

the Bag Lady said...

Bunnygirl, the Bag Lady is hoping you are feeling better, and that this is a distant memory in no time! Glad to hear your lungs are improving.
The Bag Lady can't wait for you to run the marathon - she gets her exercise vicariously through you, so "we" need to be healthy!

Vickie said...

I know all too well how it feels to not be able to be active, so I can sympathize with you there! I sincerely hope you recover soon. I was thinking of you and your upcoming marathon, so was sorry to see that you are sick! Hang in there, take it easy, and good luck on a speedy recovery!

TX Runner Mom said...

Sounds like a really nasty sinus infection! I'm glad you're feeling better!

RG said...

Whoa ... a close call. But for gosh sakes, you are tapering! You can take it easy! I bet you will recover quite well and be pretty strong in the big run! It's Houston, right? Are you a mamber of Marathon Maniacs? The guys with the yellow shirts? (Maybe some of them have red now too.)

Virginia Lee said...

Ah, so we are sinus buddies too. Hate that. My earliest coherent memory from babyhood is listening to my head noises and thinking I had people living in my head making constant squeaky sounds and singing in high-pitched voices.

Because of your habits, I'm sure you drink beaucoups of water and such. I bet the insane weather just finally caught up with you.

Have you ever tried snuffling with warm saline? It's disgusting, but I swear it works if you're bad off and don't want to have any antibiotics. I also highly recommend doing for your head what you recommended for my back - alternating hot and icy cold compresses. Sometimes just a radical change in temperature on the sorepoint can trigger drainage in the sinuses and release the pressure. Also doing massage and pressure points on the sore points will help get things moving again.

Can you tell I have sinus issues? :D

GET BETTER SOONEST and don't overdo too soon. You'll make it. You're too determined not to.

Zinger said...

Wow - good for you working hard to clear up your lungs! When is the marathon? My friend is doing one in Florida. She runs my dog sometimes with her dogs when she trains! I love it!

Glad you're on the mend!

Allie Boniface said...

Oh my gosh - get healthy for your race!!

Crabby McSlacker said...

Dang, and you've been so careful too!

Glad you're getting better--what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or at least that's what they say.