Sometimes I get so focused on how many hours I put in at the gym or the number that the scale reads, that I forget how fortunate I am to wake up most days healthy and feeling good. It isn’t until I get really sick that I am reminded how much I have to be thankful for.
I started feeling run down on Thursday of last week. After two days of being constantly on the go between school schedules, soccer practices, teacher conferences, karate, the gym and weekly errands, my body was giving me the hint that it was tired. However, I didn’t listen. I ignored the feeling of fatigue and attempted to chase it away with caffeine. I thought I was being productive but would find out that I was not doing myself any favors. By Friday evening, I was suffering from a full blown head cold. My husband worked late that night and it took every last bit of my energy to feed my children dinner. The moment he got home, I retreated to my bedroom and collapsed on my bed. I picked myself up long enough to change into soft comfortable pajamas then sank back into the fluffy bedding. I welcomed the cool pillowcase against my cheek. My skin was starting to burn up with a fever and I began to get the chills. I tucked my legs into my body and pulled the blankets tight against me.
Despite the Nyquil nightcap, I could not manage to get a full night’s rest. I was so congested and my nose was so plugged that I was breathing through my mouth. This caused incredible dryness in my mouth and my throat ached from my continuous coughing. At one point, my throat pain grew so intense that I thought that I might be suffering from strep throat. While standing at the bathroom mirror, I aimed my son’s headlamp light into my mouth as I looked for abnormalities. I tried to position the light so I could see as far in my throat as I could. It was a fiery shade of red. In the middle of the night, in a quiet house, I would lay awake sick and miserable.
Luckily, it was the weekend so my husband was home. This allowed me to rest during the day but my symptoms still made it difficult to sleep. I took every over-the-counter medicine that I could to survive through the day but still lacked the energy to even play with my kids. I watched them sadly from the couch while they laughed and played games with their Dad. My symptoms would only grow worse as the days went on.
By the third night, my ears were being affected and I could feel the fluid building up. Along with the dry coughing, congested nose, and piercing headache, I began to feel painful crackling in my right ear. As my ear crackled, the pressure inside was building and causing me extreme pain. I sat straight up in bed, holding my ear and crying out from the pain. My husband rushed to make me hot tea and find medicine to help ease the discomfort. I continued to lie awake for hours until the popping in my ear finally stopped. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was the feeling of my ear beginning to drain fluid.
After all the gargling with salt water, sinus cleansing, vitamin overload and attempted rest, I gave into the fact that I was truly sick with something that I could not overcome without the help of a doctor and prescription medicine. I was now blowing and coughing a yellow-green infection, in addition to my other symptoms. I also knew that I my ears needed to be looked at. When I awoke Monday morning, my right ear canal was filled with dried bloody fluid.
I did see a doctor that day and I was treated for a sinus infection and a double ear infection. I wanted to hug the doctor as she gave me the prescription. One day has passed since starting the medicine and although I am not recovered, I feel a million times better already. Last night was the first night in three days that I have gotten a rested night’s sleep. My ears are still plugged and ringing. I am still very congested. But at least I have the energy to play a game of Chutes and Ladders with my boys.
Today I am reminded how grateful I am for my health.