So far, 2011 is not off to a good start. It all started with a tickle and a small cough. Being Asthmatic, I've had a lot of struggle and experience with coughs, lung pain, shortness of breath and inhalers. It all started when I was turning 12. I was getting ready for my birthday party, finishing up a few chores when it started. The tickle, the small cough. By the time it was almost ready for my party, I was coughing up things that no pre-teen ever wants to see. I was determined to follow through with my party, however, so I convinced my parents I was fine. Having never been officially diagnosed with Asthma before, the thought did not really cross anyone's mind. We had moved recently, so this was a meld of Old friends and New Friends. I was really excited and the thought of being sick was not appealing.
By the time the party was in full swing, I was sitting down and focusing on breathing. Shortly after, I was in the ER, in a full fledged Asthma attack and having my first experience with a nebulizer. They wanted to hospitalize me, but my Mom hates hospitals and I didn't want to miss my birthday party... which was still going on back at my house. Without the Birthday Girl. I was allowed to go home with one provision; that I come back in a couple hours for another treatment and evaluation. Kinda of a bummer for a 12 year old.
Fast forward to an undisclosed amount of years, and there I sit, in Urgent Care, with my small, mini-me. The diagnosis of Asthma was not a surprise, having been there, done that, and seen the signs. My daughter was sitting there, getting her first nebulizer treatment. I told her how when I first started to get them, I thought it looked like a peace pipe. She thought it was really funny and erupted in a coughing fit. Whoops. My bad.
So when the tickle and the small cough started earlier this week for my daughter, I took it in stride. Following Doctors orders, I increased the use of her rescue inhaler and made certain she was following through with her other asthma meds. The wait over the next day or so was tenuous. Alas, the effort proved to still result in a trip to the doctor. The pediatrician also told me she suspected I had bronchitis... Something my coughing fits had already told me. However, being the dedicated human service worker that I am, I went into work anyway. And was promptly scolded by my co-workers. One of my co-workers and I were working on a problem solving model for our clients, and she turned the tables on me and we ended up troubleshooting my coughing. The end result? Calling my doctor. It's always good to model the behavior we want to see in our clients, right?
I was asked to come in within a couple hours. Greeaat. It had not been that bad earlier that morning, but had rapidly advanced. I had started out the day with a normal temp., and by the time I got to the doctors office, it was nearly 102. Walking Pneumonia and Actue Bronchitis was my dx. By the time I got home, I knew what it was like to experience fever chills and I have to say the experience of burning from a fever and being freezing cold is not at all pleasant. Trying to sleep sitting up is really no fun at all, something I've had to do on and off for years. It never really works. You might fall asleep sitting up, but you eventually start to slid down the pillows and awake to a coughing fit, courtesy of the phlem that settled in there while being horizontal.
Starting off the new year with my husband over seas and walking pneumonia does not sound too promising to me. I know my husband is worried about me, being sick and he's too far away to do much. Thank god he has not called recently, I know he'd get more upset if he heard me try to speak.
So I'll sit and wait for the anti-biotics to kick in and my fever to break. In the meantime, my daughter and I have bonded by watching too many movies and trying to sneak the favored blanket away from each other. She's very cute, trying to mother me every time I cough too much, she shoves the thermometer in my mouth, and tries to feed me medication. She's starting to feel better, for which I am grateful for. But I do wish she would retain that I cannot speak very well. Charades is not her strong suit.
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