Well, this was most certainly NOT on my bucket list. Here it is, a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, and I should be out there, running, walking - doing something that involves movement and the great outdoors. But no, I am convalescing, as it were, here on the great big couch in Gerry's living room.
Now, let's get back to the beginning - which was a few weeks ago. It all started with something fairly innocuous - a headache. Just a big old headache. I was tired, overworked, victim of my own self workaholism. That's why there is such a thing as Extra Strength Liquid Advil - problem solved! Or so I wished. The headaches kept coming back and the time between headaches shorter - plus, I felt tired, so, so tired. Despite my fatigue though, sleep didn't seem to come easily and I found myself tossing and turning for a long time before finally falling asleep each night. Aargh! I needed a vacation! Hadn't yet taken my vacations this year, and had this one planned for a while - great timing! So off I went to Ottawa to be with Gerry, just taking it easy and NOT working for a whole week.
But the headaches persisted, and the sleep remained just as elusive. Then, a sore throat, and then, a sore everything! I decided to take an additional day of vacation - in the hopes that this extra day would be the day to cure all my ills. Tuesday morning, I woke up with a very swollen neck - my lymph nodes were swollen and hard, and protruding noticeably. And the pain! It was hard to turn my head - my brain felt like a freight train had just run through it- and I had a fever - time to see a doctor. So, Gerry bundled me up and we went to the local walk-in clinic. The wait, compared to a similar walk-in clinic in Quebec, was minimal, and the good doctor, who examined me for all of 5 minutes, (like they all do in any walk-in clinics across Canada) immediately prescribed antibiotics for an acute tonsillitis. He said I would start feeling way better in 2 days. Hurrah! I really wanted to feel better in 2 days. I called my boss and extended my vacation for another 2 days. But the pain got worse, and the headaches got worse, and the fever never went away, and now I had a tummy ache, and nausea, and life just didn't feel so good anymore. By Friday morning, after another eternal night of not sleeping, I was having difficulty breathing because my throat was so swollen. Time to go to the emergency ward of the nearby hospital. Again, the wait only 1/4th of what I would have normally waited in any Quebec hospital, but I digress..... The good doctor who examined me immediately ordered some blood tests and an IV. Apparently I was dehydrated from the fever, and she provided me with a hefty dose of pain killers. I was in a segrated room - no one to come near me without a yellow gown, gloves and a mask. I felt like I had the plague! No, I mean really! Physically, I had never felt this awful -and now everyone around me with masks - I figured I might as well have the plague...
As you can tell, I am still alive, and not suffering from the plague at all. I still don't feel great, and I won't be feeling great for the next few weeks, and I won't be running for a while either. I have Mononucleosis. Yup, the kissing disease! My son David had that when he was 16 years old - and I remember him being ever so sick! That's usually when people have this. By the age of 40 - 90% of the population are immune to the virus that causes Mononucleosis. So here I am, young at heart with an even younger immune system - going through the trials and tribulations of a vicious viral infection. And I am happy. I am happy because I know that this will all eventually go away. I am happy because there is a happy ending to it all. It's not a chronic thing, it's not a life and death thing, it's just a painful thing. Once you know what is the cause of all your ills, there is always a sense of relief, even when the news aren't great. At least you know - and you can do something about it. In my case, the only thing I can do is take it real easy, drink plenty of liquids, and wait. I have to change my ways. I have to stop this silly workaholic habit and start taking better care of myself. I think this is my body telling me ''Whoa there, missy, start listening to your body and stop with the overworking''.
Lesson learned.
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