Friday February 5th I began to notice that I was a little ill with a sore throat. It took me about 4 hours and 22 minutes to my fathers house in Jasper arriving there around 12:45pm. I was hungry, but I had stopped at Taco Bell off 400 on the way; 2 bean burritos, and a cheesy fiesta potatoes. I had been expecting it to take a little longer because of the weather. My father and step mother Renee welcomed me warmly and really liked the car I brought with me. We sat and watched Ghost Whisperer, and then we played RockBand together. For dinner I took them to a pizza place in Jasper.
Saturday my older sister Ashley came to visit from Ellijay with her boyfriend Richard with whom she is planning to elope but first become engaged to soon. We made a big breakfast for lunch during which time Ashley decided to dress up in her chicken plant uniform. Richard was a little despondent because either the day before or two his puppy Autumn the pit-bull ran away after his grandmother refused to let her in. we played Rockband afterward. Ashley needed to run errands the afternoon while she was in town by collecting her W-2 from the bar and grille she used to bartend at last year, buy groceries for dinner, and try to find a cheap night gown and the Dollar General. It was flurrying out, but I drove us around anyway in the rental car. We took a while walking in circles at the grocery store, but finally came out with a tomato, lettuce, dill chips, relish, peanut butter ice cream, an onion, hot dogs, Cool Ranch Dorito's, and maybe a couple other things. I forgot to get some antihistamine. Some time after we returned Ashley fell asleep watching television, dad had to leave to get some buns, and I had to make the potato salad without her. Before Dad left for the grocery store I was helping Renee with her family tree on the computer in hers and my fathers bedroom. That is where I realized a lymph node on the right side of my neck was greatly swollen. I was very worried because something like that had never happened to me before. Ashley wouldn't wake even as dinner was ready and we began to eat without her. She got up when I told her she would probably only have 4 hours left of time to spend with Dad and I. Renee had gone to bed earlier and left me in charge with cleaning the kitchen. I had a little trouble sleeping that night.
Sunday I got up with Ashley to go to church. We were late and Richard was already in Sunday School, but that gave Ashley a chance to speak with the sound woman about her missing dog. I had rushed her to get ready so she left her pictures of the dog at Dad's place. Richards granny and two cousins sat in from of us and I sat on the end, Ashley between Richard and I. After service we hung around the parking lot, a friend of mine called from Malaysia, Richard's cousin's played with some puppies, and Granny's car wouldn't start. Richard got in contact with the sound lady and after we left in his car leaving my rental reluctantly behind, we weaved around down Richard's street trying to find the culprits the sound lady may have tipped them off about having taken their dog. No luck. When we arrived at Richard's we watched The Andy Griffith Show. We had hot dogs for lunch, but my throat hurt too much to eat more than one. I needed medication. I stepped out for some fresh air. Before they took me back, we weaved through the "neighborhood" again. From there I drove to Marietta to meet Erin for dinner. I had a little trouble finding her place, but I wasn't too late. We decided to have Korean. I had Chicken Kasu and a coleslaw type side. We shared a variety of small dishes in the center. the chicken was very scratchy, but I was able to choke it down. That was not very helpful. Afterward we zoomed off to the Japanese grocery store before they closed and I bought Japanese curry and mushroom candies. Then we went to Baskin Robins 31 where I got cherry ice cream. I drove home after seeing Erin off at her house once again. That night I was unable to sleep at all.
Monday early morning I was awake when my father came out from his room to prepare to go to work. I decided I would drive back to North Carolina while I still had strength and will knowing I would not be able to sleep until some of the pain in my throat was lessened and guessing my best bet for recovery was in Charlotte. After my father left for work I got all of my stuff in order left and locked the door behind me. No turning back. I stayed on the road without stopping until I was in South Carolina where first I nibbled on an egg and cheese McMuffin and later stopped to fill up my gas tank. I drove to my mothers house immediately got out of the car and walked through the door with relief. I made an appointment at the Student Health Center that same day and was proscribed an antibiotic Azithromycin, a numbing agent Lidocaine to gargle, and 800 mg tablets of Ibuprofen. When I I was brought back to my mothers house afterward, I drove the car back to the apartment and took my stuff inside. Then I returned and went to the grocery store buying mostly soups, tea, and chicken broth. Dropping that off I retrieved the paperwork for my rental and dropped it off. I was driven back to my apartment. I had trouble sleeping that night despite the medication. The Lidocaine was useless because it didn't work deep enough in my throat.
Tuesday was a day of fighting with sleep, fever, and chills. I was able to eat very little and ended up calling my mother to take me in for the night fearing my lonely demise. The pain in my throat was unbearable. At my mothers house I was encouraged to gargle salt water and drink lemon honey tea and use a cold press as I was encouraged to do on Monday as well. Little was able to help with the pain and I got little sleep that day and that night. I had started taking the 800 mg Ibuprofen pill every 5 or 6 hours without food despite the 3 a day limit because the pain was so extreme.
Wednesday I called to make another appointment with the same doctor. I took my mother along with me because I was afraid they would have to do a blood test and the last time I did that was in preparation for studying in Japan and I passed out with my eyes open. We parked in reserved patient parking. I was brought to get a blood test as I had thought, but it turned out only being a finger prick. Shamefully, I still nearly lost my marbles while they did it at the thought of blood getting milked out of my finger. While the supposedly 5 minute test for mono was being process I was administered a steroid shot in the butt. Boy was that sore, but it was a bit refreshing and balancing to feel pain somewhere else. While waiting half an hour before I was allowed to leave after having been given that shot, the doctor returned confirming that I did in fact have mononucleosis. She proscribed me hydrocodone and told me to stop taking the Azithromycin. Leaving there a miracle happened. I had the desire to eat a double cheese burger and it turned out I could. The shot had worked wonders. However the pain in my throat had changed from a raw shredded feeling to sharp stabbing feelings. It became more difficult for me to drink anything after that cheeseburger lunch. The only thing that I could sip with the smallest pain was warm lemon honey tea.
Thursday was a continuation of little beverage but more ability to eat food and a shallower pain in my throat.
Friday had an appointment with the same doctor at 8:30 in the morning. My mother took me to drop my stuff off at the apartment and then dropped me off at the Student Health Center. The doctor was excited that I was getting better. She advised me to use the Lidocaine to numb my throat so I could drink fluids. She prescribed me a steroid Prednisone that cannot be taken with Ibuprofen lest I want a stomach ulcer. I was a little leery of that because I had been relying on Ibuprofen mainly for killing the pain and kicking out the fever. But I took her word for it. I had already taken one 800 mg pill of Ibuprofen that morning, but she said it would be fine to take the Prednisone. But food must be eaten first. Afterward I was able to eat some yogurt and fruit and a Michelina's noodle dinner with water. I took the steroid pills and was proud of my progress. Later around 4pm my mother picked me up to get groceries before rush hour and because it would start snowing soon. When I returned to the apartment I was left with more options to snack on.
Saturday my eating a drinking had returned to a mode that required minding only a minor sore throat. I could drink water and vitamin water and eat hot pockets and ice cream. I was a glorious feeling to be able to eat drink and sleep freely. I took a long nap in the middle of the day and worked on unraveling the mysteries of my ancestry most of the rest of the day. The illness was etched deep in my memory, but the sweet feel of recovery was on my mind and the beautiful snow outside increased my comfort and joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment