Sick

I know when I'm feeling sick when… blogging and working on my computer takes a backseat since I'm feeling so crummy.

I started feeling sick last Wednesday. It first started out as a mild headache and muscle aches, but then it changed into congestion in my head and chest. As the days went on, I wasn't getting any worse, but I wasn't getting any better, either. I had a low grade fever of about 100° off and on, but I wasn't too concerned about it.

My chest hurt and it was definitely harder to breathe than usual. The pain in my chest actually felt similar to the burning feeling you experience when you run outside in cold weather. I had so much fluid in my airway and we were constantly having to suction it out. I kept feeling the urge to cough, but since I can't breathe on my own I can't really cough like a normal person can. (Just to explain… when a normal person coughs, they start by taking a deep breath. I can't do this since I have no control over the breaths I take since I use artificial means to breathe, so that's why I say I can't cough very well. It's probably hard for the average person to understand what I'm talking about if they don't have experience with someone who can't breathe on their own.)

My mom decided to call my doctor Tuesday morning to see what she would suggest. She called in a prescription and I was thankful that I didn't have to go into the office. I took the first dose of my antibiotic around 12 that afternoon. Not too long later I started shivering and I couldn't get warm. I covered up in attempts to warm up, but then I got really hot. I got hotter and hotter, and I felt worse than ever. My face was really flushed, so my mom decided to take my temperature. It was 103.9°, so now instead of feeling cold and shivery, I was so hot, hot, hot! I took some Tylenol to lower my fever and that helped a lot.

A few hours later I was thankfully feeling a lot better. I think I've finally turned the corner and am on the mend. I'm glad because I don't like feeling sick!

For the record, I totally blame my sick nieces and nephews who I saw a few weeks ago during the holidays. It's totally okay, though! I won't hold a grudge for too long! As horrible as it is to be sick, it's worth it because I love being around my nieces and nephews. ;)