Went to Fayetteville Friday, Georgia Saturday, got back Sunday and was tired, Monday still tired and by the time I get home from work on Tuesday, I have the flu! Nothing to see here but an over flowing garbage can full of soup cans, Nyquil bottles, orange juice containers and disgusting tissues. It’s been great; I finally see what all the fuss is about with this flu thing I keep hearing about on the news. I am no longer a stranger to this wonderful virus that has knocked me on my ass and left me on the couch to be as worthless as this decorative pillow that sits beside me.
I called into work Wed, Thurs and Friday and now it’s Sunday and I am still not recovered! Wednesday morning was a blast; I had been up all night because of how bad I was in pain with a sore throat. I just knew it was strep throat and I knew I needed to get to the doctor right away, get some antibiotics and nip thing in the bud.
Anyway, I got up out of bed and just started crying my eyes out, apparently being sick and sleep deprived makes me emotional. I get myself together and try and figure out where a hard working uninsured American should seek medical attention (yes unfortunately I cannot afford health insurance at this time). Nevertheless I start googling health departments and such; there is a list of them with different stipulations, the one I did find that looked promising was not accepting new patients. Since I felt like donkey dung at this point and I couldn’t even fathom research with the headache I was experiencing, I jumped in the car and did the easiest thing, Minute Clinic at CVS. I head out and haul ass so I could get this thing over with before I croak. Oh but wait, let me get pulled over by Nashville's Finest real quick. Awesome, blue lights appear in my rear view mirror and now I get to pull over.
Since I had already been crying earlier it did not take much for Unstable Mable to bursts into tears as soon as I am settled on the side of the road. The cop comes up and asks me for my license and registration. I am crying my eyes out as I look through a huge stack of papers that I pull out of my glove compartment. He asks what is wrong, I tell him I am very sick and I was trying to get to the doctor as quick as possible. He tells me that he needs me to get there safe and I was driving way too fast. He told me to just give him my insurance card since it was gonna take most of the morning to get through this stack and find my registration. He came back and told me he was not going to give me a ticket and told me to slow down. Woohoo!!! I finally got out of a ticket!! One point for the sick lady.
I am at the Clinic the second they open, we discussed it being around $100 (give or take a 20) so I break out my credit card and cross my fingers. I tested negative for strep which meant I had the flu, which meant no antibiotics, I just get to treat the symptoms. So I basically gave the lady all my money to tell me to rest, drink plenty of fluids and take Nyquil. Gee thanks, I think my Mom told me all that for free the night before, but it’s better knowing I guess. I did have a fever so I was able to get a doctor’s note for work. I went into Kroger and tried to figure out how to push myself in the cart; it really sucks with no Mommy in sight when you are sick. I drag myself up to the counter somehow and then made it home.
Since I have been home I have become one with the Army Wives and my couch. I feel like I live on post and lights out is at 0800 hours and I say things like "Roger that." Thank goodness there are tons and tons of episodes to keep me entertained. I think I have logged about 60 hours or so. I have learned a lot about combat, FRG meetings, falling out and PTSD. I am making sure my hours in front of the TV are educational and emotionally inviting.
One current problem that I am not a big fan of is my ears. They have been getting plugged up with fluid and have been getting worse. Apparently plugged up ears and home remedies go hand and hand. For a day or so it was just the sound of the ocean flowing through my brain so mom recommended a few drops of mineral oil in my ear. With no mineral oil or ear dropper insight, I promptly warmed up some Wesson oil in the microwave and poured it my ear. Since oil and water really don't mix all that well, all I got was an oily pillow and an oil treatment for my hair. Then I tried putting a towel over my head as a canopy and putting my face directly in a fresh pot of steam from the water I was boiling on the stove. All that did was act as a nose hair removal system, so I just threw some eggs in the pot and called it a day.
My ear was getting more and more clogged and beginning to hurt. I am now getting desperate, so my next attempt is lying down on the ground with a wash cloth and a hair dryer to my ear trying to dry the fluid out. When blowing hot air into my brain didn't work, Brandy suggested pouring alcohol in it so I asked if Vodka would work. She said no that I need to get some RUBBING alcohol. Well since the TV sounded like a robot in my ear, I threw on my shoes at around 11 last night and I was either going to the store or the ER. All I knew was that I was in pain and I felt like my ear drum was going to explode. I got in the car and got on the phone with Brandy, she got on WebMD and she talked me through what to get. I ran in Kroger grabbed some alcohol off the shelf along with some numbing ear drops and ran into the Kroger bathroom and stuck my head over the sink. I flip open the cap and poured this crap in my ear sat there for about 20 seconds and then put the drops in. I did get some relief thank goodness but it was not over. I decided I needed to leave the bathroom and possibly pay for all the stuff I just used. Brandy came across some information as to why this happened, apparently Nyquil or any other decongestant drug that makes you sleepy will thicken the fluids that may be in your ears or nose or wherever. So there you go, some education for everyone. After being in a Nyquil induced coma all week it did make sense, thanks Nyquil for almost blowing my eardrums to smithereens. I am now laying here still fighting the fluids but resting likes a good girl. Ok the wives are waiting on me; it’s time to see who is a match for Claudia Joy’s kidney and where the 23 Airborne troops landed after an emergency deployment.
Before I head back to the post, I would like to wish my very
good friend, Kathy Goodwin, a very happy Kathy Day! I hope you have the most
fun today and enjoy it with your ginormous family. Happy Birthday lady!!
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