"Puny"

I've been puny this week. Not sick for I haven't had a fever. In my book, having a fever is a prerequisite for my being truly sick. I've just been puny.

I had a busy day on Monday. I got out real early to go to Wal-Mart. Got that shopping done and came home to put those things away. I left again to go shopping in the other direction of town~~ still needing some items for our Alaskan trip. I shopped until the last minute and then picked up Josh and Jaden from school at 3:00. We went out to the track field and watched Jarrett and Belle run a bit and then came on home to fix supper for the family. I remember that I was unusually "snappy" at the dinner table with my husband, daughter, son-in-law, and the four GRANDkids. (Well, hopefully I didn't snap at Amy nor any of the GRANDkids, but I do remember snapping at both Brian and Richard. In fact, we had dinner at Amy's on Tuesday night, and the Lord prompted me to apologize to the family for my being grouchy the evening before.) But back to my feeling puny....

On Tuesday, I woke up with a sore throat and had developed a bad cough. I was scheduled to go to a "First Tuesday" ladies brunch. I so badly wanted to go but didn't want to go and spread what might be an illness so called Gail (this month's hostess) and let her know I wouldn't be able to attend. I laid low all day. Thankfully, I was reading a wonderful Historical Christian Fiction novel which was set in Alaska back the late 1800's during the gold rush, and it kept me royally entertained all day. On Tuesday, my voice became very raspy.

On Wednesday, I was still coughing and battling the sore throat. I didn't have a sniffle, didn't have a runny nose ~~ and certainly didn't have a fever. Just that incessant cough which brought on a headache and kept my throat sore. Since I didn't have a fever and figured it wasn't anything I could spread, I asked Brian and Amy if I could keep Jaden on Wednesday. He came and we had a wonderful day. I told him that Grandma wasn't feeling her best and that I needed for him to be a real good boy. He was so sweet and was a good boy. We don't often miss church; but when Richard came in from work, I told him that I just didn't feel like getting dressed and certainly didn't want to disrupt the service with my constant cough so we stayed home on Wednesday night. Amy and Brian picked up Jaden so they could grab a bite of dinner and head off to church.

On Thursday morning, I felt better! Yea! I was turning the corner on feeling so puny! I ginned around the house and did some things but stayed home. (I finished that novel!!) By Thursday evening, I was feeling bad again. I had a rough night and after the first coughing spell, I got up and went to the guest room to sleep as I knew my coughing had been keeping Richard awake all week. My dear hubby needed a good night's rest!!

I got up on Friday and felt quite miserable. But, it was Bible Study day at the Retirement Center and I really wanted to go, so I pushed myself. I took my cold and cough medicine and some Ibuprofen and then laid back down in my bed for an hour. I set a timer so that I would wake up on time to get up and get ready. When I woke up, my ears were feeling like there was some pressure in them so I thought I might as well go ahead and call my doctor and try to be seen on Friday afternoon ~~ before the weekend. I went to the Bible Study and then to lunch with the two ladies in our team of three. Richard and I were invited to a dinner party on Friday night and were to bring a salad so after lunch, I ran to Winn-Dixie to get what I needed for our salad. I got back home 30 minutes before doctor appointment time so spruced up and went to that appointment. Dr. V talked to me about my symptoms and then checked me over. He looked at my ears and my throat and said there was no infection in either. He said there was a lot of drainage in my throat so gave me a cough medicine with codeine and told me to keep on taking the Coricidin for the cold and cough as well. Easy fix. Thank You, Lord!!

I returned home, Richard got home, and in a bit we headed out for the dinner party. Actually, on the way out there, my right ear began to hurt. It felt like there was a stick poking in it. It hurt all evening and I wasn't hearing very well out of that ear, but we had a wonderful time and stayed at the party until it broke up at nearly 10 p.m. We got home and I dosed up with the Rx cough medicine and and my OTC cold medicine and went to bed. My right ear was really hurting and I tried to lay it on the warm waterbed mattress but that didn't seem to help. I woke up in the night with that ear making the wildest sounds. It was popping and making all kinds of whizzing noises. It sounded like a 4th of July fireworks show going off in my ear. I so badly wanted to rouse up Richard to see if he could hear what was going on in my ear, but decided that he needed the good deep sleep he was getting. In a few minutes, I remember thinking that my ear wasn't hurting as bad after the "show." Later in the night I was coughing terribly so got up and took my Rx, my cold pill, and 2 Ibuprofen. That was at 3:30 a.m. Sometime later, I woke up and thought my ear felt like it was draining. I rolled over and went right back to sleep, thanks to the Codeine.

When I woke up on this Saturday morning, the area right under my ear felt very tender to the touch and felt "gushy." Richard came in to check on me and got me a tissue. When I held it to my ear, all sorts of gunk came out. It feels much better now! But, my throat is still sore and I am still coughing. I guess I'm still puny on this cold but beautiful late winter morning in Northwest Florida!! At least my Sweetie is here to keep me company!!