It's been a ruff 3 weeks.

I am in need of some rest but have so much to do.

Three weeks ago I came down with a bladder infection and had to get a prescription for antibiotics. I haven't had one of those in probably 15 years. I felt tired, miserable, feverish, and had more pain than I care to have. After three days of being on the antibiotic, I get a call from the Dr. that my lab culture came back but that the bacteria is immune to the antibiotic they gave me, so I needed to get a different one. I pretty much figured as much since I was still not having any relief. The only thing helping me get through it was the over the counter AZO for pain and urgency and the cranberry supplements I was taking. Day seven of a ten day antibiotic regime, I started itching and having a small rash. I made up my mind to just get through it so I started taking Benadryl to be able to finish it off.

Just when I was starting to feel better, Rich's B-day rolls around. We really don't celebrate birthdays much any more. He was never one to make plans for my B-day; or really do anything more than to just take me out to dinner, or a bike ride for a burger and a beer if it was a good day to ride, (my B-day is in the spring, so it's sometimes raining or just not warm enough for a ride.) I used to be real big on doing something real nice for him back when I made the kind of money I used to. Things like long weekends; a cabin on the river, one week in CA for his 50th, a weekend in Chicago or Milwaukee, or a night of dinner, show, (usually a comedy club) and a motel. Any more I have taken on the same tradition as him so I really had no plans what so ever. I hadn't even thought about it other than just a steak dinner somewhere.

He really wanted to get out of town and do something but couldn't think of anything to do. He didn't want to do Chicago so I suggested WI. He reminded me of the time I had taken him to Milwaukee for Cajun food, Comedy Sportz, and a stay at a bed and breakfast in a mansion. I gently reminded him that I don't have that kind of  budget any more, but I could buy him dinner! He was willing to take care of the hotel and show, so off we headed to WI. The Cajun restaurant was closed so we went to a steak house instead...really good! Then we went to Comedy Sportz and got a room at the Ramada Inn.

I was feeling really tired and thought I might be coming down with something...a little bit of a dry cough, occasional runny nose, occasional sneezing, a little shortness of breath, but nothing I could really say was a cold or flu. By the time we got home I was coughing pretty bad but the sniffles were gone. I got through the week with cough syrup and cough drops.

Last week was my grand daughters 18th birthday so on Saturday night we went to meet them for dinner to celebrate. I had my first real bad night that Saturday night and skipped church Sunday morning opting for a little more time in bed. Sunday was also my date with her to go shopping, have lunch and some one-on-one time. No way was I going to disappoint her or miss out on my time with her. I was pretty sure what ever it was it was not a cold or flu because I had no other symptoms of cold or flu and the sniffles only lasted half a day or so and the cough was not productive but dry and no fever. Being pretty sure that it was not contagious since Rich or no one else around me at work had caught it, I was determined to keep my date with her, I drugged myself up with cough meds and cough drops and on my way I went; with Rich protesting as I was leaving telling me I need to cancel because I'm too sick.

On Sunday night the cough was so bad that I had  real dry coughing fits that would last for five to ten minutes at a time with little rest in between fits and little relief from the cough syrup, (now on my second bottle). I was wheezing and couldn't get air in between coughs and having trouble swallowing food, it seem like my food was stopping half way down in my chest area. Rich was ready to take me to the emergency room. NOT EVEN GOING TO HAPPEN. Especially after the last emergency room trip that turned into a week in the hospital for a bunch of heart testing that I knew I didn't need and it ended up being bad reflux and finding out that I have quite a bit of damage and narrowing in my esophagus because of the reflux.

I was taking night time cold and flu tablets at night, and cough drops like candy just to get through the night, waking up every half hour to hour to another coughing and wheezing fit.

Monday morning was now day nine or ten of the cough and being the last day of the month, I really needed to be at work since I am the only one that can complete the month end billing; but I had to see the Dr. They got me in for a nine o'clock and he said there were no signs of any infection or virus when he listened to my chest with no indication of any chest congestion so it was definitely not cold or pneumonia. He asked me about my peak allergy season and how I was doing with the reflux and it all started coming together. Fall is the worst time for my allergies. He concluded that it was a combination of my allergies and a flare up of my reflux and narrowing of the esophagus and put me on prednisone to reduce the swelling in my esophagus and gave me a stronger allergy medication to take in addition to the one I already take. The cough is finally under control but not gone, and I still get short of breath but it's getting better slowly but surely. The Dr. said if I am still having trouble swallowing after the prednisone I will need to go back to the gastro Dr. to have my esophagus stretched. He also said I may have some asthma and might need to start using an inhaler.

I talked to my boss on Monday and told her I would be in as soon as I got my prescriptions filled to complete the billing, but she told me she had talked to the guy that is head of accounting and he said he would hold the close for one more day so I could get some down time and rest. He said that worst case, if I couldn't get in on the next day, we would just do an accrual for any billing that didn't get done. I am very thankful the people there are so understanding. I did make it in on Tuesday and each day since has been a small improvement.

It's time to see what I can get done around the house since I have not felt like doing much for the last two weeks. Wish I could afford a maid once or twice a month!

Hope everyone else is enjoying good health and lots of energy! I'll be there again soon.