Respiratory Infection-My Experience

Man oh man oh man! I HATED this feeling, with a PASSION! Okay, so if you do not know what that is ( I didn't either until I googled it).

Acute upper respiratory tract infections include rhino-sinusitis (Common cold), sinusitis, pharyngitis/tonsillitis, ear infection, laryngitis and sometimes bronchitis. Symptoms of URTI's commonly include cough, sore throat, runny nose, blocked nose, phlegm, headache, fever, facial pressure, extreme sensibility to cold and warm weather and sneezing. Onset of the symptoms usually begins after 1-3 days after exposure to a microbial pathogen, most commonly a virus. The duration of the symptoms is typically 7 to 10 days but may persist longer." [source from Wikipedia.com]

So it all started the day prior to my state board test. I developed this HORRIBLE cough that I thought was my asthma. So I constantly used my inhaler, perhaps too much because I started shaking. So the following day, right after my test, I started to feel a sore throat, and my energy felt like it was decreasing as the time went by. Later that day, Panda and I went to his basketball game, and as I sat at the bleachers, I was thinking to myself, man, I seriously DO NOT feel good. I was feeling so horrible that he had to drive us back home, instead of me after his game. When I got home, I felt like the temperature was like negative 10 degrees, and I had literally five blankets on me, and I was still freezing and shivering!! I definitely knew by then that I was getting sick. And guess what, work was all I can think about during this whole time. But anyway, I took nyquil and knocked out. I called in sick, which was a Monday and my Panda got sick as well. I supposedly recovered approximately within 3 days . That Saturday, I was at Panda's house in the city and I felt great in the morning. Around 4pm, my body started to ache and I felt my body energy slowly decrease as time went by. By the time Panda got home I was wrapped in the blankets he had and shivering. We were supposed to go watch the fight at a friend's house, but there was no way in hell would I get out! A little later I started to vomit, I was vomiting so much that all the food I ate that day was gone and it was just saliva, and it hurt so bad! After this I knew I had to go home, because I'm most comfortable in my own bed, in my own sheets, in my own blankets with my Ngeh Ngeh. On Sunday, I didn't even eat, talk, move, stay awake, or anything, except to go to the bathroom. Only because it took so much energy out of me to even do anything! I just took nyquil and knocked out all day, maybe watch tv here and there. Monday I had to work and I FORCED myself to get up and shower. And LET ME TELL YOU, showering was the most I have done in days. I cried the whole time I was showering because I was in so much pain. I got out and I was still crying. By that time I had a sore throat and I lost my voice, in addition to coughing and vomiting. I HAD to call in sick because there was no way I was able to work and I called Kaiser to schedule an appointment, because this is not the common flu. When I saw the doctor the medical assistant took my blood pressure and it was 92/79. VERY ABNORMAL, my temperature was 100.3 and I lost approximately 10 lb. But she thinks its more because I was wearing really baggy sweats and a really big hoodie. The doctor saw me and told me it was a respiratory infection and he prescribed me antibiotics to take for a week, and gave me a doctor's note. From that day till Wednesday Night I have not eaten, spoken to anyone, stayed awake for more than an hour, smiled etc. On Tuesday, I started to feel a little better, still weak, but better. I woke up and the first thing I saw was my Panda, smiling straight at me, and that just made my day. Because I know he has stuck around with me since Saturday and gave me everything I needed/wanted. How great is he?! I can still see his face with his smile. He was SO happy that I started to move again, and to finally talk because it didn't take so much energy from me to do so. My last couple of symptoms was this terrible cough. It was the worst cough I ever had! I would cough so bad it lasted like a minute per cough were it would continue and continue and blood would come out. It would be constantly throughout the day and it hurt like crazy when I coughed to and it would happen at night to when I'm trying to sleep.

So my first day that I actually saw sunlight, actually got up, actually got ready all by myself, did everything myself was Thursday. The first day I ate since Saturday, so five days of not eating. I lost a total of 15 lb.(but gained some of it back now that I'm better) I was still coughing, had a sore throat, and lost my voice by then, but man oh man was it great to finally be out and about! I was extremely happy that day like no other. But anyway, to describe this illness, this feeling, this horrible piece of crap that sickened me for TWO whole frickin' weeks is having the flu, the cold, sore throat, vomiting, no energy, lack of appetite, sore muscles, shivers, not being able to talk, and everything in between! no lie.

PS The first day I got to work, I got written up for calling in sick with a doctor's note. Can you believe that?! Sounds like BS to me.