I'm a mess - a cold and after (F self obs)

[doggo]

So, I figured that I might just as well write about this. I get a fair chance to whine and perhaps someone gets some enjoyment out of this. I'd like to add "you sick pervs" but I know I'm no better.

The saga starts one tuesday night over 2 weeks ago. It's 3am, I've spent a night dancing and drinking with friends, celebrating an art exhibition opening. I realize I've missed the last bus and am flat broke. Lucky I have somewhat tolerable shoes on, it's a hour-and-a-half walk home and it's cold, windy and snowy. It was somewhere during that walk I noted that my throat was hurting. Great, might be coming down with a cold, and if so this is not helping. At home I almost dozed off in the bathtub, and still couldn't get warm.

Cue a couple of days of worsening throat ache and feeling chilly no matter how much I wear, and on Thursday night I start to get sniffly. I wake up on Friday feeling ill. I dress warmly, stuff my bag with tissues and go to take care of some things (paperwork to be filled etc). For the whole weekend I was sick as a dog - moderate sneezing, slight fever, and a very runny, congested nose. I happened to run out of painkillers too that weekend, which meant really poor sleeping due to being too feverish and congested.

I think it's tuesday when I felt better, like the cold was going away like it should. Felt damn lucky for not having a cough. However, I kept being oddly sniffly, and if I sat down (or slow down when out) I got really stuffy. So it's Tuesday, and I keep blowing and my nose gets really quite sore - lucky there's B-vitamin cream, that helps. What comes out doesn't look very promising, and when weekend comes and I'm not getting better - on the contrary actually - I start wondering if there is a problem. Every now and then I get blood in my tissue. Guh.

Sunday morning I'm peeling an apple while making breakfast, and bend down. The right side of my face - the side that's been more stuffy - hurts like hell. Great. I've never had a sinus infection, but this is what they say happens. I manage to avoid bending down to an extent, but every now and then forget. Cursing follows. After having my breakfast I realize I have a splitting headache and I have no painkillers (forgot to re-stock). Figuring I might try to nap before the inevitable trip to the nearest pharmacist that's open on sundays, but nothing comes out of it. I make an absolutely misertable trip to the farmacist: it's cold as hell and the public transport is still in chaos after a snowstorm that hit on the night before. I stock up on painkillers and get some nose spray, which should help. I stand 40 minutes waiting for a bus back, shivering like a leaf and blowing an inordinate amount of vile, nasty stuff out of my abused nose.

The next night I had my best sleep in days. The healthcare sites say most sinus infections don't require medical attention, and the symptoms must go on for over a week for it to be worthwhile to see a doctor. I am not very keen on seeing a doctor anyway, because as silly as it is, I find the idea of seeing a doctor for symptoms like this exceedingly embarrassing. For a few days I go about the usual stuff, medicating as much as I dare, because I'm absolutely effing BORED of being sick at home. I sit in the university library reading and trying to not to blow too often or loudly. Along the day I'm filling my bag with used tissues and I must look like shit. Embarrasing, embarrasing, embarrassing.

I had a couple of beers with friends on Thursday night, so on Friday I stay home resting, it's been an ok week working with my thesis nevertheless. And I realize I'm not getting better and I'm afraid that I will have to give up my only means of sleeping, that is the spray. I've talked with a friend who praises a saline nose flush as a cure for all things like this, so I dedicate an old teapot (I know ) for the new hobby. First round is not too succesfull as I'm simply too congested to have the water run through. After trying it for a few times along the day, eventually it works. I congratulate myself, and for a while - not a very long while, but still - it keeps my nose semi clear. Well not clear but at least it's easier to blow. I figure I will give the new trick a weekend to work out and call a doctor on Monday if I still feel I need to.

So today I'm still sick. I've been flushing the poor nose (it's never been treated as badly, poor thing; regardless of special care, the skin is peeling off between my nostrils) and I have to tell you, I'm not easily shocked by mess but what comes out with that water sometimes makes me feel weak in the knees, and not in the good way. Today the headache is back, and after a couple of hours of lazy drawing I feel like I can't be arsed... that's always a bad sign. Yup, some fever again - not much, but enough to wipe off any appetite and making any sensible pasttime, like drawing, feel like a chore. So I'm sitting here playing lame puzzle games to kill time and most of the time the other side of my nose is completely unbreathable while the other is dripping. Sadly this thing isn't making me sneeze, but when I do sneeze, I have to be careful because there's a good chance for it to hurt my ears. I'm already mad at myself for not calling the doctor on Friday. And even if I try to keep the used-tissue-flow in check, they still seem to be everywhere. The biggest mountain tends to build up next to my bed. I can't still taste or hear properly, if it's worth mentioning.

So there goes my magnum-whining-opus. Stay healthy folks, this sick stuff is too boring for words.

[Dusty15]

Oh my goodness! What an opus, pig! That sounds miserable, and I'm only getting mild pervy pleasure from it because I know how wretched being congested for that long can be! I hope you start to feel better soon <3 The thing I found helped me the last time I had evil sinus congestion and pain was a warm compress....essentially a sock filled with dry rice or beans heated up in the microwave (or some other way, I guess?) that you put on your face. Packing one of those across my sinuses was the only way I could relax last time I got that congested!

[doggo]

Thanks, Dusty. Yeah, I'¨ve heard about those things, but sadly they require a microwave, which I don't have. Well, luckily the ibuprofein is holding the headache and temperature at bay. That's a good thing. The bad thing: I just lost all my saves isn Jewelanche2 and I've been playing it for hours today. Talk about an insult on top of injury. Lucky there's no shortage of braindead puzzle games on the internet.

edited because I cnat spul

[hails]

Aw, jeez, pig! Poor dear, feel better soon! Also if you can take that funny throat spray you get at the supermarket, usually the one for kids but it works for anyone really. I tell everybody to use it and it always works, I promise.

And if that doesn't help, I hope you feel better soon anyway

[norcal tinkfan]

Awwww...hope you feel better. I've been sick for just over two weeks and I feel your pain! This stinks!

[PuddinPop]

Aww, pig, that sounds truly awful

You need to get some antibiotics and get yourself sorted, I know how miserable being sick for that long is, I've had a throat infection for over a week which is fluctuating, thinking I'm getting over it then suddenly awakes me in the night with the pain.

(P.S same as Dusty, I only got mild enjoyment out of this )

[TheCakeIsAlive]

Hope you feel lots better soon.

[hay-choo]

awww jeez...I really hope you feel better soon!!

[doggo]

Thanks for the well-wishes.

I'm actually feeling somewhat better today, probably thanks to the salt water. I'm still blowing my brains out on regular basis but the congestion is easing out a bit, which is such a relief. What's bothering me most at the moment is the bunch of weird sounds my ears are making every time I blow. I'll keep giving special care to the poor snotfactory and see tomorrow if it still feels worth it to see a doctor or a nurse or whatever.

Edited to say: this is one of those things that makes me feel darn lucky for living alone. I can't imagine how I could handle being this disgusting around anyone else.

[blowingnosefan]

what does your snot look like?

[black_mage]

I'm glad to hear you're feeling better pig. Reminds me of a time when I used to get sinus infections after colds, it's not fun. I remamber reading somewhere that blowing your nose a lot isn't good for sinus infection but I dunno. Anyway, I hope you'll get better soon. Try to get enough rest

[honkmaster]

Thanks for sharing yoour obs Pig, and I'm glad to hear that you're starting to feel better.

[Vetinari]

Ouch! Yes, difficult to enjoy this as an obs, but I hope you feel much better soon... and do get to a doctor if you don't.

[snuffle-bunny]

Aww, hope you feel better soon! Have you tried drinking lots of water? That helps me when I have sinus problems.

[doggo]

Thanks for the kind comments, folks. Well, eventually after a completely sleepless night I went to see a doctor on Monday. It wasn't nice, for some reason I'm more terrified of seeing someone who wants to see my throat than seeing a gynecologist. I know, strange. And she had absolutely no qualms about making me feel just as gross as I was. But now a few days into the antibiotics, I'm feeling quite ok, thank goodness. Teaches me right, about avoiding doctors. Hopefully not making the same mistake again.

[blum]

It`s good to hear that you`re feeling better now I had something like that years ago. So I know it`s really uncomfortable, but it`s an advantage for you that you are not too shy about blowing your nose in public, in contrast to me. :)