Sick again.....

If you missed my short, mid week post, and if you care, see the one before this for a brief synopsis of our vacation.

 

A while back (2 years?), we returned from that year's trip to Chicago, and I immediately got sick with some kind of NASTY upper respiratory infection.

I never went to a doctor, because I never got a high fever, but it was, hands down, the sickest I had been as an adult. 

This past Tuesday, I woke up in the hotel with odd aches and pains, after two nights of not sleeping great in strange places.  There was this dull ache in my diaphragm when I would take a deep breath, or yawn.

No other symptoms.

I didn't really think much of it, because I had been having aches and pains all week during our time in Chicagoland.

I attributed all of it to being busy, away from my own bed, and adjusting to being off of chemo, and, as a result, suddenly back into full blown menopause.

Well, on Wednesday, the weird achy diaphragm pain was worse, and, late in the day, I got a slight head ache, so decided to take my temperature.

There it was.... I had a low grade fever.   SO, I took some ibuprofen, went to bed, and hoped for the best.

Sadly, the next day, Thursday, my fever no longer qualified as low grade , so I put a message in for my primary care provider.   The response was relatively quick.... she was only in the office that morning, and would need to see me in person before ordering a walk-in chest xray.  

Of course, she had no appointments available, and would be off into next week.

SO, I forwarded my message to my oncology clinic, and they got me in with the oncology network's "Same Day" clinic.

I'd not been aware of this clinic before, but apparently it's for oncology patients who get sick with things NOT related to treatment.

The Same Day team did a full work up.... chest xray, blood work, urinalysis, and a multi-panel swab test for various respiratory viruses (I had already tested negative for covid).  

EVERYTHING came back normal, except for evidence of dehydration (which I told them up front they would find) so they told me to just rest, force fluids, and ride it out.

By Thursday night, the weird diaphragm pain was completely gone (I still had NO other symptoms), and has not returned.

The PA I saw called me on Friday to check in, and he clarified that I should give it 7 to 10 days to run its course, whatever it is.

I have since developed a dry, tickly cough that happens in "singles" every once in a while, mostly when I try to speak..... Nothing at all worrisome.

I've been drinking 48 to 52 ounces of fluids a day, in the form of decaf iced green tea, water, electrolyte enhanced water, and home made chicken stock. 

The night before last, I had no fever all night (I did not sleep well, so I took my temp at intervals all night), but it came back yesterday.  

Ibuprofen helps lower it, but my doctor is concerned about my elevated heart rate recently, and ibuprofen tends to raise heart rate.

Ugh.

Anyway, by the time I went to bed last night, it was down again, and was "normal" every time I checked it in the night, and was only slightly elevated this morning ..... so hopefully, whatever this is, it is almost over.  

My patience wears thin, after 4 days of rest and fluids, and tomorrow, the window installers are due to arrive.  I NEED to be able to go somewhere for at least part of the day.... like the library, or a book store.

I need to feel well, and NOT need to take a nap, in order to make that kind of escape, HAH!

In other news, Pete started throwing up again yesterday.  I should not have said anything about how he was doing so well for so long.

Fortunately, we have plenty of his medicine, and will start him on it today for a few days, to calm down this flare.

The ONLY thing that has changed is that we got some pro-biotic powder to add to Annabel's food to see if it would help her over - grooming issues.  She, of course, refused to eat it, and Pete ate it instead.  

We did not think it would hurt either of the other cats to have some probiotics in their food.....but maybe there is an ingredient in it that is the same as the Purina Pro Plan that Pete can't tolerate.

Fortunately, PetSmart is pretty good about taking returns.... this stuff was expensive !

Wish us luck with this last push to get the rest of the windows replaced before winter.  

We have NEVER had one set of windows go perfectly with the installation company that Lowe's uses.  Never.  They always have one or two windows that they measured wrong, and have to re-order.

This is the biggest set by far (14 windows), so the margin for them having made an error is much greater.

We do not need this frustration, please... HAHA!

I'm off to make my pint of tea, and to take a shower. Have a good week!