Is Sickness Just My New State of Being???

Or How My Son is a Cesspool of Germs...

I haven't really posted a ton about this (other than just mentioning several times that I was sick AGAIN).

But, just so you know why I haven't really been blogging much - or why Carder's 7 month post still isn't posted...or why I sound all nasally if you talk to me...or why the bags under my eyes have their own bags...

Shortly after Carder started Day Care, he came home with his first cold.  And, as I am sure you can imagine, he so graciously shared his germs with us.  Derek caught his cold.  I caught his cold as well - but I struggled with getting better.  After about 3 weeks of funk, I took Carder and myself to the Doctor.  Carder was fine, but I had a sinus infection.  The Dr. told me to take a stronger decongestant and prescribed antibiotics.  He also told me I have a deviated septum.

Now - just so you remember - when I had Carder and was getting the IV antibiotics, I developed an allergy to an antibiotic in the penicillin family.  So now, instead of taking an antibiotic that I have taken before and know has worked in the past, we are experimenting with new ones.


Fast forward about a week or so.  The decongestant was helping with the drainage, but it did cause some restless nights.  But that wasn't the worst part.  One morning, Carder started crying and I got out of bed to check on him.  The next thing I knew, I came to with my face firmly planted in the doorjamb saying "I fell down".  After a couple more dizzy spells at work, I called the Dr's office and they wanted me to come in.  The Dr. had a nurse take my blood pressure standing, sitting, and lying.  She attempted to take my blood pressure about 30 times before she gave up and got another nurse.  She was only able to determine the pressure 2 times - both of which she stated it had to be wrong because with a blood pressure that low, I should be stroking out and in the hospital.  The second nurse was finally able to get a pressure in all 3 positions.  But, just so you know how low it was - it was 80 over 50 while I was lying.  Dr. said that it was probably the decongestant, but that I could be dehydrated, and I still had the sinus infection.  I got a prescription for another antibiotic, drinking Gatorade, and stopping the decongestant.

Almost 2 weeks later, I was finally feeling better.  Just in time for the next cold to come rolling in. 

Rinse, Lather, Repeat.

But, since the decongestant possibly made me faint, I have been avoiding them like the plague and have just been suffering through the runny nose, sneezing, stuffy nose, terrible post-nasal drip, and sinus pressure.  With each round, it takes me FOREVER to feel better.  I feel better for a few days and then I get sick again.

And, just for good measure: let's throw in some really bad coughing from the drainage in one round, followed by a couple of days that I felt somewhat better, followed by a 24 hour stomach flu, followed immediately by repeated coughing that sounded terrible and was diagnosed as bronchitis. (Steroids + inhaler).

And keep in mind that during all of this time, while Carder was sick, he wasn't sleeping the best (READ:  Mommy got very little sleep and what little she got was very light and abbreviated with trips to the nursery).  And while I was sick, I wasn't sleeping either.  I honestly don't remember the last dream I had.

And now, after the latest round of cold, I have another sinus infection.  This one was so bad that my sinus pressure has been making my upper teeth and jaws ache.  And with this one, I spiked a fever of over 101 for a couple of days.

I AM EXHAUSTED. SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE...

The doctor, in his infinite wisdom, has told me to begin taking a daily antihistamine (just in case it is an allergy), use a Neti pot (sounds really gross but works fairly well to help with the stuffiness since I can't take a decongestant), get some rest (ummm, yeah...), and to begin an exercise program (excuse me, but WHERE do you think I will fit that one in??? I am sorry, but I am not getting up at 5 in the morning to walk on the treadmill).  Also, another antibiotic and round of steroids. 

With the exception of the exercise program, I am following the doctor's orders.  I have finished the steroids and I am almost done with the antibiotic.  Thankfully, the stuffiness and drainage have subsided.  However, I still have terrible sinus pressure (or god forbid all of my top teeth are rotting out and need to be pulled).

I really hope I am feeling better soon.  I am so done with being sick...

And I have so many other thoughts to put out there.  But right now it is all I can do to make it through the days.  And until I feel better, I guess I will just keep faking it until I make it...