Howdy. I've been sick.

And not just a little bit actually. First there was the nothing little cold over Thanksgiving (oh and four days of migraine pain, but that's still not a huge deal). I thought I was on the mend but noooooooooo.

The Monday after Thanksgiving, I tried to go to school. I knew I had a fever, but it seemed like I could just tough it out. At 12:00 they sent me home because I was at 102.5. So I went home and went to bed. Then I realized maybe I had the flu. I mean I'd had the flu shot, but you can still get it. And fever, aches, pains, cough. Seemed reasonable.

Next day went to the doctor. They said flu! The nurse said infection. My oxygen levels were only at 91% (should be more like 99). But I went home with a tamiflu script and some codeine cough syrup. And a fever of 103.2. No school all week.

I never got better. By Friday my doctor called and said it wasn't the flu, the test had come back negative. But I still couldn't breathe. He said it was a virus and he didn't need to see me. (I've got a new doctor now). The next day, Saturday, I was still running in the 103s and Ricardo packed me off to the Doc in the Box. Chest films, blood work... diagnosis: multi focal double pneumonia, mostly in the right lung with a good chunk in the lower left lung as well. Antibiotics, rest, no school. Back home.

I was supposed to go back for a follow up on Tuesday and make sure the antibiotics were working. On Tuesday I sounded worse and was still running a fever in the 101s. They diagnosed me with atypical pneumonia (in other words, non viral, non strep pneumonia) and put me on a second antibiotic. By Friday when I'd finished the first I was finally starting to feel better. I went back that day for another follow up and a chest film and low and behold, the left lung had cleared and the right was better.

But that night I started vomiting. It was not unlike having cholera (I have had it so I know). I was so desperately sick I could not hold down water. Back to the doctor's that Saturday.

The antibiotics had given me something called c-diff colitis which is when they kill off all the good bacteria and then the bad stuff (the c-diff) proliferates and poisons your entire system. I was badly dehydrated. They gave me a shot of fenergin, a prescription for more antibiotics and sent me home to hydrate. But I couldn't. I was so tired and so sick I couldn't get fluid in well enough. So Sunday morning it was the ER. For about 20 minutes they tried to get a line in me but I was too dehydrated and I'm a tough stick any way. My white blood count was more than twice normal, my liver function was all whacky and, when they finally did get an IV in I needed three liters of fluids to rehydrate. No school that week either.

The new antibiotic made me very sick so I had to keep taking the antinausea meds as well. However these make you so tired that all I did was sleep. I finally started feeling better in time for The Kid's birthday (12/23) and today I feel ok. I'm still super tired all the time and I have no strength or energy. I lost 15 pounds (but have put back 4). And that's what I've been up to in December.