Being Sick Sucks

Heavy weight on the chest, difficulty taking a complete deep breath, coughing until the eyes water, muscles aching from the effort.

How I wish I was better. This is so inconvenient.

We returned from a two-week road trip  last Friday that included a visit to Louisiana to visit my daughter’s family, including two young grand-daughters.  A cold returned with us. In me.

Daughter called while we were driving toward San Antonio, Texas on Highway 10.

“I know you’re going to make it here for sure.  Youngest has a fever.”

When I visited last year, my daughter and I spent the entire visit in the house with one trip to the Pediatrician because both girls were sick.  It was actually a great visit because there was no running around sight-seeing – just us and the grandkids: all babies, all the time. And no cold came back with me.

This year, chasing a storm (that’s kind of an exaggeration – we couldn’t have caught that storm if we’d tried… it was moving fast up the Gulf, through the southeast up to the northeast, leaving broken homes, ice and snow in its wake), we managed to end up at our destination and spent three days with the family, and the sick baby.

The headcold didn’t surface until the day after we left, and it wasn’t a big deal, not really.  A little congestion, a little fatigue, but nothing to worry about. Hot tea, rest, and all will be well. And it was. But the feeling that something wasn’t quite right lingered.

After a visit to the Urgent Care clinic this past Wednesday to rule out bronchitis, pneumonia or strep (and it did),  the doctor prescribed Mucinex, Advil and bed rest, to heal.  So I did. Wednesday evening.

Thursday we made a trip to Disneyland and spent all afternoon and part of the evening there.  Friday it felt like there was a weight on my chest all afternoon.  Today is a little better.

Taking a shower leaves me winded, sitting up for too long wears me out.  Standing in the sun is nirvana.  This little set back reminds me to take it easy.  A cold like this reminds me how I take my health for granted.  This is the first real cold I’ve had in years though and for that I am grateful.