Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Not Entirely Unexpected...

Here is a little transcript of the call made to my doctor's office from my classroom at 11:00 this very morning. Voice The First is mine. Voice The Second is that of My Favorite Medical Assistant:

Sheepish Annie: Hi, there...Sheepie here! I just wanted to check in on those chest x-rays I had done last Friday. You know...did they get my good side? Were my eyes closed? Do they make me look fat? I can schedule a re-shoot if need be. I simply won't have a fat x-ray in my file.

My Favorite Medical Assistant: Oh, hi there, Sheepie! Glad you called actually. Your report is right here but it got stuck at the bottom of the pile like it always does and the doctor hasn't read it yet. Why don't I just pop it right up here on the top and...oh. Um...by any chance did the doctor give you, oh, I don't know...maybe some sort of antibiotic?

SA: Why, yes! Yes she did. I just finished my five day course of Zithromax and it is still happily coursing through my system as we speak! Such a nice antibiotic!

MFMA: Well, that's good. And, just out of curiosity, how are you feeling right about now?

SA: Funny you should ask. I've got this weird thing going on where my right ear blocks up and it sounds like I'm yelling. Except I'm not. It just sounds like it because my voice is coming from inside me and it's louder in there. Then it pops and I can hear normally again. Isn't that funny?

MFMA: Yeah, fascinating. And your chest? How does your chest feel?

SA: (now sensing where this conversation is going and becoming wary) I'm coughing. But it's not so bad really. It is actually quite bearable. And if I hold my breath, I can make it stop. Nothing to worry about, if the truth be told. I'm doing great!!!!

MFMA: Really? That's what you're going with?

SA: Well...I'm a little tired. OK, maybe more than a "little tired." I'm a lot tired. And I'm coughing all the time. And my knees hurt. But I don't think that has anything to do with what we're talking about...

MFMA: Yeah. I thought so. The doctor hasn't read the report yet. But here's the thing...


And the conversation progressed in the manner that I knew it would when I first called last week begging for an antibiotic. I had held out some hope over the last few days. The worst of the symptoms had responded so well to the bad bug medicine. I wondered if I had, perhaps, jumped the gun on my little self-diagnosis. Maybe I was just overreacting...

But, like My Favorite Medical Assistant said, I should have trusted my first instincts. They were really pretty accurate. You only have to get it once and you will never again forget the symptoms. I knew. And now it is confirmed.

I have the Monkey Pox again. For those of you who do not have The Sheep's Guide To Diseases That She Has Renamed To Suit Her Desire For Funnier Illnesses, that would be pneumonia. Same as last year, right side and in the middle. I just managed to catch it a bit earlier this time. Which is good...but it still isn't what I wanted to hear. And yet, I knew.

So, I have let the good doctor know that I will probably be requesting a refill on the prescription cough medicine. I have lived without it for a few days because I was being stubborn and insisting that I didn't need it. But I do. I need to sleep. I am very tired. That, in and of itself, was the biggest clue. I'm not one of those spunky, perky types who is just bubbling over with the energy, but I can generally make it through a day of teaching without falling asleep at my desk.

I have accepted the situation for what it is, set aside the workout for today, taken my cough syrup and tried to see the bright side. I have to sit for a while. I can go to work and I can do pretty much all the stuff I need to do to keep Chez Sheep running. But there won't be any energy left over for much else. Since I caught Monkey Pox Part Deux early this time, I don't anticipate the lengthy recovery I had last year. But I'll be sitting for a while. It's really all you can do.

And if you have to sit, you might as well knit. One or two projects might actually get done over here at the Convalescent Home! This could really all be for the best.

Any project suggestions out there? You know, things you can knit while on prescription cough medication? I might be here on the couch for a while...

SA

27 comments:

sheep#100 said...

Damn Monkey Pox. Sorry, Sheepie.

I'd suggest not worrying about the knitting right now. How about some good reading instead?

FiveAcres said...

I am sorry that you have the Monkey Pox again, and hope you shake it soon.

Mel said...

Oy! Poor Sheep.

I suggest you do socks. Since you so generously shared how they turned out when you were not on cough meds, maybe you can do them while on narcotics and then report back to us if there's a difference. :-)

If you do get to reading, you might do well to avoid my current choice - "Complications", by Dr. Atul Gawande. I don't think it'd be good for HM to see.

Mia said...

well hell sheepie.. and here I thought you were in the clear. Want a xanax? ::laughing:: You'll still have monkey pox, but you won't really care.

seems like when times are tough enough, we all eventually turn to the knit.

Please feel better soon..

::big hugs::

Anonymous said...

If you don't want Mia's xanax, I'll take it :)

I agree with Mel, socks would be good.


I hope you feel better real soon.

Sheila said...

Oh man, that totally suck!
Another vote for socks...or maybe a soft scarf with the recently spun Shire blend? Something with an open knit, maybe a simple YO, K2tog kind of pattern. There is a stitch called Turkish some-thing or-other (stitch, lace?), you can google and look for it. It is simple but lacey looking, and doesn't require full-brain power to do. Or socks.
Glad the BB is helping. I think you've tried it on more body parts than I have!!

Mouse said...

I'm still at "Squirrel Pox" status over here.. thankfully I haven't upgraded to "Monkey Pox". I'm sorry to hear that you still aren't feeling any better yet. I would however recommend that you try mixing Tylenol Headcold with some Maximum Strength Pamprin sometime.. I did that accidentally earlier today and boy was it a hoot. (*I'm not condoning self medicating for amusement.. I should merely stick to the child dose on the medicine package before I find myself sitting in the corner making my socks talk to each other)

Cathy said...

Damn. I hoped you were well. 3-day weekend coming up. Sleep lots under the cats. I'll send over some rain to keep you company.eaj

Teri S. said...

Dang it all! I had a suspicion that's what it was. I'm so sorry that the Monkey Pox has found its way to you again. As for knitting? How about some warshcloths and simple stockinette socks?

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the return of the illness. I say knit something to be felted, then you won't notice the errors.

catsmum said...

shit
[pardon]
ok I'd go with a yarn harlot one row scarf or a bag to be felted [ seconding brenda here ]

--Deb said...

Socks. Socks would be good. Or the felting thing--nice, big yarn and needles to be followed by camoflauging fulling to hide any cough-syrup-fogged errors . . .

Feel better!!

Anonymous said...

I'm going along with the felting thing.

Drat. I'm sorry it's back to torture you. Rest up. Maybe you should take the remainder of the year off work to recuperate faster.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Sheepie, I'm so sorry you are Deathly Ill again. That sucks. During your convalescence I'd go with the simple knitting suggested by others: stockinette socks, maybe some mitered garter stitch (did you follow Cara's adventure with the miters?), maybe a nice rectangular big-ass tote bag that you gleefully toss into the washer to felt when it is done. And Netflix. Definitely lots of movie watching whilst knitting. Lots of beverages, too; they won't help you get better but they make you feel better along the way.

April said...

Screw the knitting, eat chocolate instead.

I'm so sorry you're sick again, Sheepie. :(

If you lived in California you'd never get sick. Wanna move?

Jeanne said...

Oh, noooo. That's no good. Maybe you can ward off the Monkey POX by knitting a pair of Monkey SOX.

Hope you recover quickly.

Ronni said...

Poor Sheepie! I hope you feel better soon. My hubby is just now getting better from his current bout with pneumonia too. He had it in the fall and apparently got it again last week.

Be sure to take care of yourself and get lots of rest. I'm glad you caught it early.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry about the Monkey Pox!!! Feel better soon. A scarf might not be a bad idea - if it comes out a bit wonky, it will still fit and you can always claim you "meant" it to be that way.

Anonymous said...

Oh No! I can't believe you have been poxed again! I hope you feel better and that it doesn't last nearly as long as last time.
Why not knit some simple wash cloths. They make a lovely gift. That way you won't feel like your time is wasted.
Karen
http://nothingbutknit.blog-city.com/

B. said...

Hey Sheepie!

So sorry to hear you're not feeling well. I wouldn't worry too much about the knitting. I would grab some books and hunker down in bed until you're feeling a bit better! I also love movies (the ones you could watch over and over -- that way if you fall asleep while watching, you don't really miss anything!)

Hang in there, Sheepie. I hope you start feeling better soon.

B.

Anne P said...

Garter stitch scarf? That might even be too much for codeine.

I had walking pneumonia the year I was in grad school AND working 2 jobs. You gotta take care of such things or they bite you in the arse....repeatedly...vigorously. Lots of hot tea with honey and lemon helps - and I'm pretty sure chocolate won't hurt.

Be well!

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear that the dreaded monkey pox has returned. Knit anything that's so simple that you can knit while asleep or drugged but make sure it's a beautiful colour to keep your spirits up. Hopefully you caught it early enough to get rid of it just as fast. Good luck.

Cursing Mama said...

Well - we could kinda see this coming what with all of the foreshadowing. It is a bummer that the Sheep is down again though - HM must be having a heyday.

So - projects on narcotics sounds like preemptive holiday knitting to me. Scarves, socks, hats...all the simple stuff that is left to the last minute and then you realize it takes longer than 1 minute to make that pair of mittens for the best hair stylist ever.

Hope the sheep is back in action when summer break hits!

Lorraine said...

Prayers winging their way East for a rapid recovery. I second the idea to start your Christmas knitting early. Do the easy stuff while recuperating. Multi-task, Sheepie, multi-task!

Anonymous said...

Awww...is there a sadder sound than that of a Sheepie coughing? So sorry you aren't well!

Sharly

debsnm said...

I'm so sorry you got the crud again! As for knitting - what about socks?
hahahahahahahahahahahahahha

Lazuli said...

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear you got the M-Pox again! I hope it passes quickly this time! I think I have to second the socks, or something else not requiring too much attention.