A post in which I find out what the fuck has been going on

So I woke up at about 2:30am this morning, feeling like my lungs and throat had been scrubbed out with steel wool.  Not a good feeling.

I called and left a message for Alan that I would not be in, and took some more cough syrup.

When I woke back up (after drowsing in and out) around 8am, I called the doctor's office to make an appointment.  They had told me earlier in the week that she wanted to see me again, but since I had the new prescription I wanted, and since this would be the fourth trip to the doctor with this mess (that's $100 freakin dollars in co-payments to you and me), I had demurred.  But at this point, there was little choice.

***

I should report at this point that when the new prescription had been called in on Monday, I went to pick it up, and when the pharmacist asked if I had any questions, I asked if dairy was contra-indicated here.  He looked at me, rather quizzically, and said that although dairy wasn't contra-indicated that I should probably give a two-hour window between dairy and taking the pills (this, to the un-initiated is a pretty standard sounding cya answer).  That should have been my first clue, but I felt like crap, and I was in no frame of mind to be uber-vigilant.

When I got the medication home, I noticed that I was to take only one pill per day, which I thought odd.  Then I noticed that the prescription was for 30 days.  Now I thought that was odd too, but since the doc had given me a talk about how I was in some ways immuno-compromised from chemo, I kind of shrugged, and said whatever in my head.  When I actually took a pill, I noticed that they were very tiny - like the size of a saccharine tablet from the 70's.  I also thought that was odd for an antibiotic.

***

When I showed up at the doctor's office this morning, I had the new pills with me.  I knew that something wasn't right.  I asked "Are these placebos or something?  Is this the right stuff?"  The doctor looked at them and told me that these weren't antibiotics at all, but the new cholesterol pills I had asked be called in to the prescription service on Monday.  So I had been off all antibiotics since Monday night.  Small wonder I was sick as a dog!

She then proceeded to tell me that the stuff was in my lungs now, and started to tell me about the four additional tests she wanted to do, along with a chest x-ray.  She also went through how the fact that I wasn't better could be an indication that my lymphoma was recurring!!  I was like whoa, wait a minute, hold on.

First of all, this stuff going around is nasty.  A lot of people have had to have more than one round of meds to throw it off.  Secondly, I'd been off of any medication to help me with it since Monday!  I suggested that we actually try treating me for a bit before we consulted an oncologist.  In my head, I'm thinking screw that - recurrence of cancer is going to be the LAST thing we consider when I'm sick. Right after a pregnancy test and a screening for botfly larvae.

Debbie, my nurse was back today (she had been out on Monday) and came in after the doctor left to find out what had happened.  She told me that there had been some problems with the other nurse, and that she would have this seen to.  My faith in this new doctor is shaken.  I can't go to a doctor that thinks I'm getting cancer back every time I have a sniffle.  So I'm giving a pass on this one, because there was some human error involved with the nurse, but I'm not at all sold on this new doctor.  I feel sorry for her, and I like her, but that's not why you pick a doctor.  If she's leaving me sick and at the same time being alarmist, I'm going to have to find another GP. 

That done, I went and got yet another round of prescriptions, including another nasal spray and an inhaler.  This URI is going to put me in the poorhouse. 

All I really wanted to do was lie down, but I needed to eat something before I started on a new round of (apparently pretty strong) antibiotics.  I went to No 1 China for an order of sweet and sour shrimp (I am convinced of it's curative powers), which I took home, devoured, and then passed out. When I woke up several hours later, I was already feeling better.  Amazing how it works out when you are actually treated. 

I spent the rest of the day on the sofa, basically in and out of consciousness.  I caught episode 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race that I missed earlier in the week.  It was pretty much as stupid as I thought it would be.

I missed dinner night with the guys tonight, but had some sweet text messages from them.  I was really glad to be on the mend.  I had some guilt texts from Chuck.  Sigh.  I'm going to have to get him sorted at some point.  I don't have as much time to spend with him as he wants, and he's pretty reproachful about it.  I understand that he's lonely, but I can't be his whole world.

Eventually I finished up the fried rice left over from lunch and went to bed.  I was so wiped out I didn't even shower today.