Saturday, February 2, 2008

Apparently the NyQuil Was Not Enough

Neither was the vitamin C chaser. After spending all day Tuesday in bed or on the couch, I decided that I should probably go to the doctor and get checked out.

The strange thing was that I felt good Wednesday morning. This particular phenomenon always seems to happen to me. I could have a fever of 104.2, vomiting, diarrhea, shingles and enough snot running out my head to keep the horror movie genre in business for the next 15 years, but as soon as I step foot into the doctors office my symptoms miraculously disappear. No wheezing when I exhale, no fever, no nothing. I look like a total hypochondriac, but strangely enough, he always believes me.

So, I left the office clutching a prescription for Tamiflu, an antibiotic (no lectures about how antibiotics don't work on viruses...it's just a precaution because I don't have a spleen), and my personal favorite, the codeine based cough syrup.

You would have though that I was all set, wouldn't you? A veritable pharmaceutical utopia at my fingertips, and the path to better health spread out before me, right?

Wrong.

Because apparently I know more than my doctor does. I couldn't really have the flu. I felt better after only one day, and usually the flu doesn't let up for days. It was probably just a bad cold, and the Tamiflu (which, by the way, is not available in generic form and would have cost us $55) wouldn't help a cold anyway. So with my vast medical knowledge and expertise, I filled the cough syrup and antibiotic, and confidently told the pharmacist (who looked, quite frankly, a bit skeptical) that I didn't need the Tamiflu.

Some time around 3pm on Thursday, the thought occurred to me that my decision to bypass the Tamiflu might turn out to be a fatal one. I was seriously miserable, and to top it all off, Gracie was sick too. Trevor actually stayed home from work Thursday and Friday because I was too weak to take care of her.

So here I am Saturday morning, freshly showered and dressed and ready to go back to bed. It's amazing how the very basics tire you out when you've been sick. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, and I have been trying to some catch up on blog reading , but it's slow going for now.

If I take it easy today and tomorrow, I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to return to work on Monday. And I promise that I will never, EVER disregard my doctor again when he prescibes Tamiflu. Cross my heart.

8 comments:

Joyful Days said...

Feel better! We've been struggling through this messy stuff going around too.

Prayers for His Healing Hand to cover your home.

Blessings,

Julie

Mocha with Linda said...

Oh bless your heart! We're all on Tamiflu here, 3 for prevention, and my son for treatment. Of course I'm not sure we caught his in time because as a nurse I don't run my kids to the doctor the second they get sick. I assume it's viral and watch them first. And both kids and I DID have a flu shot. But the news is saying it's a different strain apparently and lots of people are dropping like flies. Such fun....

Hang in there and get lots of rest and don't push it!!

Alana said...

You poor thing! I'm glad it was not the stomach flu or else I might fear that I had spread it to you through the bloglines.

I hope you feel completely better soon!!!

Rhonda said...

I hope you're feeling better soon! It's not nice to feel like that, especially when you have a little one that needs Mommy.

Take care!

luvmy4sons said...

Oh, how awful. You poor thing. Take care of yourself. It is okay. I give you permission! Sometimes we moms need permission to take it easy! LOL! Take it easy. I am praying for you!

Kelly @ Love Well said...

That codeine-laced cough syrup usually does the trick. So the lesson is: Trust your doctor, right?

Hope you feel better soon! It sounds miserable!

Andrea said...

Man, EVERYBODY is getting sick!! I'm glad Trevor was able to help you out with taking care of your daughter while you were too weak to do so.

Take care of yourself!!

Anonymous said...

Who has time to be sick when there's serious blogging to do? LOL Seriously I hope you are feeling better as soon as now and that it's not long until you're running full strength again.

The only thing I would say about the Tamiflu is yes, it is pricey!