Another Doctor's Trip

For the 3rd time in 4 weeks I went to the doctor. I had already self-diagnosed and determined that my problem was a sinus infection (from the 1st doctor's visit) that wasn't quite wiped out by the first course of antibiotics. This is because it was so severe. The 2nd doctor's visit was not with my regular doctor and it turns out her colleague is so against antibiotics that he will not prescribe them no matter what. Nice.

Dr. Vasquez confirmed my self diagnosis today with the caveats that if I'm not 100% feeling awesome after a 3 week battery of Augmentin starting today that I would be off for a CAT scan on my sinuses and probably at least another 6 weeks of antibiotics depending on the results. Since I've never had a sinus infection before and NEVER want to have one again after that incredible pain I am adhering to every letter of the law. I'm on such an extensive battery of drugs that I'm thankful for every pharmacy visit for insurance.

Advair, Augmentin, Nasonex, nasal lavage, prednisone and singulair. Impressive and a little bit scary. I look forward to 3 weeks from now when these can all go into the trash can or drawer never to be seen again. I'm am hopeful.

The Next Medical Problem

Jeesh, you'd think I was a sickly kid. Oh, OK, I was. But I had hoped it wouldn't carry into adulthood. It has. I've been fighting off what I thought was just a general cold that always moves into my chest due to either weak lungs and/or the asthma. Yesterday and somewhat the day before my eyeballs have felt like someone is pushing them out of my head from the inside. Squeezing them... My face is puffy, my cheek bones are tender and my teeth hurt like hell. I cannot chew anything because my teeth hurt so bad. It turns out that all of this is sinuses, a severe sinus infection it appears.

My doctor gave me an antibiotic, Nasonex to treat the polyp in my left nostril, Advair for my lungs, cough medicine with codeine and a nasal rinse to relieve the pressure. I'm a regular drug store and thank G-D for insurance. Hey, all you people who think that there isn't a problem with America's medical system and are so against health care reform, how much do you think all those prescriptions would have cost you? Over $400. Cough that up. What about my doctor's visit? $150. Swallow that.

Back to that nasal rinse. That stuff is awesome! Gross, but awesome. It's not the nedi pot because I'm so plugged up that won't work but it relieved the pressure in my head quite a bit and cleaned some of the mucus out. I'll spare you the disgusting details.....

Random Thoughts....

I'm caught in between that weird limbo of being too sick to go to work and not sick enough to lay in bed for too long. It's driving me insane. I've gone in to work for 4 hours these last two days leaving exhausted with the icing on cake today being yelled out of my office by four of my co-workers. They were yelling, "get yourself to a doctor", while one of them fetched water in hopes of saving my sorry soul from an early demise. They had to yell, I was coughing so much and so loud there was no other choice.

So here I am, at home itching to go to work and going bonkers at home because I feel time is a wasting. I lay propped up in bed thinking of all the home projects that I could be doing with this cool time at home and then as I start to formulate a plan to do something I'm wracked with a coughing fit that reminds me why I am here.

My trip to the doctor today was predictable but had slight educational benefits. I'm frustrated as every time I get a cold it rapidly moves into my chest and bronchitis is quick to follow. This is a common issue with asthmatics. When I broached this frustration with the doctor she devised a possible prevention plan that involves immediate application of a steriod inhaler Advair upon inception of the cold. Might work, it's worth a shot. In the meantime I suck up Albuterol and Advair regularly and patiently await the filling of my cough medicine with codiene prescription. I chant, "The coughing shall subside, I am healthy, The coughing will subside", hack, hack, hack