Yuck!

This picture pretty much sums up the last few days. Yes, I finally gave in and took Pete's advice to "GO TO THE DOCTOR ALREADY!!" and came home with half the pharmacy, a nice IV hole in my left wrist, and a diagnosis--bronchitis and severe dehydration. I'm not so sure I believe the severe dehydration part, tho. The doc based it on some test called 'tilts' where they take your blood pressure and pulse laying down, sitting up, and then standing. It's supposed to stay roughly the same, but my vitals were all over the place. It was the same after two bags of IV fluids....so it is most likely because of a fever that will NOT go away. In fact, said fever actually went from 101.7 to 103.3 while I was getting the IV, so, um.....it doesn't fit.

At any rate, I'm still coughing, albeit a lot less with this fascinating cough syrup they gave me that resembles radioactive snot (and probably doesn't taste much different, I would venture to guess) but happens to be a narcotic that blocks the brain's reflex signal to cough. OOOOOH, I love this stuff. Hate the taste, love the effect. After coughing nonstop for nearly four days, after fifteen minutes, I was able to get some relief--and I could practically hear the Hallelujah Chorus coming from my abdominal muscles! Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be getting truly "better" even on the antibiotics, so as the doctor suspected, it's likely viral. FUN. Oh well, at least I have my icky cough syrup and some mucinex (WONDERFUL stuff!) to ease the strain on me as my body tries to figure out how to fight it. Now if this fever would go away and stay away, I'd be thrilled!