Not the Flu

The short version is that I’ve never been sicker in my life than I have been for the past five days or so.

I decided to go to Family HQ on Friday, because they bribed me with Chinese food (and the Chinese place near their house is the best in town), and because I like to watch Northwestern games with my dad when our schedules allow it. (Also, yay Cats!)

It’s a good thing I was there, because right after the game I felt like I really needed a nap, and when I woke up from the nap, I was positive that I was dying of the flu. I’d developed a really high fever and literally could not walk from one room in the house to the next without pausing or, sometimes, just lying down flat on the floor. My muscles ached. My head was killing me. I was either hot as hell or convinced that I was freezing to death, depending on the moment. And the cough I developed on Thursday was getting much, much worse.

So I spent Sunday and Monday there whining and being taken care of, which is nice. I called my doctor on Monday and they wanted me to come in and get my nose swabbed so they could confirm it was the flu, and I was like eh, I’m too sick to drive, I’ll come in tomorrow. So yesterday, that’s what I did.

And they were all, good news! You tested negative for the flu!

And I’m like no, that’s actually not good news at all, because I’ve had a fever of 101 degrees or higher for every minute of the last three days, and I’m dehydrated and I’m coughing and I basically want to die, so if it isn’t the flu then what the hell is it?

They checked me out and concluded it was “just another viral infection,” and gave me a prescription for some hydrocodone cough syrup and told me to get Mucinex and to keep taking Tylenol for the fever. Tylenol’s the only thing the fever will respond to at all, and if I miss my every-four-hours dose by ten minutes, the fever jacks right back up. And I’m doing all of that, although my mom’s going to get mad at me if she reads this because my fever went down overnight and didn’t go back up today, so I didn’t take any Tylenol at all, and now it’s spiked back up to almost 102 degrees. Eep. Sorry, Mom.

It sucks. I’ve taken five and a half sick days in the past two weeks. It’s a good thing I have almost two months of sick leave built up. I went in for a half a day yesterday and sat shaking and hacking in my chair for four hours before staggering out the door and everyone thought I was nuts. But it’s just about the worst time ever for me to be this ill.

I’m scheduled to fly to Chicago on business on Monday morning, and right now the thought of getting on a plane kind of makes me want to cry. I need to get a haircut before I go, and I need to go pick up a few things for the trip, and one of my best friends has a birthday tomorrow and I haven’t even gotten her a card, and I’m in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store but I seriously don’t think I can make it today. And in addition to being out most of last week and this week, I’ll be out of the office all next week, and then the following week is Thanksgiving so that’s a shortened week too.

So that’s why I haven’t been answering your emails or posting or anything for the past several days. It’s all I can do to get up and brush my hair and put on clothes. Wish me well, and I’ll write as soon as I’m able.

19 Replies to “Not the Flu”

  1. Come see me & mike when you get to chicago. We’ll give you some cough syrup* and some echinachea.

    *by cough syrup I mean a stiff glass of gin because we have an abnormally abundant supply of Tanqueray.

    But seriously, I hope you get to feeling better, being sick sucks.

  2. jeez.

    well. i am glad you updated us i was getting xrazy worried.

    and yeah, good thing you dont lake mental health sick days like i do. i’ve never ever had 2 months of sick leave built up. hell, i’ve never built up a week.

  3. Good to here you’re in good hands. At least take comfort in the victory of your candidate.

  4. I am so so sorry. I hate being sick and I know that right now if I were to get sick, I don’t even have a doctor or enough sick days. so I’d be SOL.

    And I will echo Will here, yay for Tim Kaine!

    Hope you’re feeling better soon.

  5. You poor sweet thing. Hopefully it’s just about run it’s course and you’ll be better soon.

  6. I am sorry, Lorie… It does suck, and I do hope you get better… think happy thoughts of Northwestern in a bowl game. Think happy thoughts about electing the right guy for governor — well done!

  7. funny, haven’t noticed you around at all, Mike. :oP

    No worries lorie, eventually they’ll stop comin’ around.

  8. I don’t know what laconic means.. but i’ve be Lackadaisical lately (i think).

    Are you over the monkey pox yet? And back from Chi-town? I’ll be home on Tuesday.. I call the bedroom! :)

  9. WTF, you should post already. Assuming you’re feeling up to it and that you owe us all something.

    Seriously, I’m sending frickin’ hugs b/c I’m a cheeseball that way.

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