Piercing My Ears

Yesterday I woke with a nagging headache, sore throat, shooting ear pains and coughing up my toenails. With much determination, I decided to feel better. I shuffled around for my slippers and finally got them on the wrong feet.

No matter, feet covered, I trudged to the back door with the four canines following along. I felt worse with every step. I open the door to discover a blast of cold air, despite the sun shining brightly. I sneezed and sneezed again. Felt like my head was going to explode and my lips, cracked and dry, having been coated generously with Vaseline the night before, felt furry to my tongue. I have some chap stick, but I did not want to even try to remember where it was.

My lips were furry indeed with dog hair and cat hair. I must have been mouth breathing all night, as I managed to pull some hair from my tongue, as well. I filled the dishes with dog food and water and stumbled to the bathroom for a nice hot shower. I was so sure this would be the cure.

The water did feel good and the house was plenty warm, but as soon as I dried off and put some sweats on, I started trembling violently with chills. Everything hurt, even my toenails. I have not been this sick in awhile. Another day passed in misery.

Being sick all day is no fun, but being sick all night is even worse. I did not want to wake the sick man, but I did want to whine about how miserable I was.  My ears felt like someone was shoving an ice pick in them. This led me to fantasize about the relief I would feel if my eardrum burst. Maybe both, if one would provide some relief, just think what two would do. I went on to wonder how sharp the pain would be, what I would use to poke the hole with and how much pressure one would have to exert. You know, just normal thoughts when you are sick. Would this be referred to as piercing your inner ear?

I was laying there coughing and wheezing, vacillating between fever and chills when a memory popped into my mind and I realized that I had cough syrup with CODIENE in the medicine cabinet. I could barely contain my excitement as I slipped from the bed and tip-toed stumbled to the kitchen. Yes, my medicine cabinet is in my kitchen.

I remembered seeing the bottle there and checking the date when I was in a cleaning frenzy. I had toyed with the idea of just tossing it, since there was so little of it and it would soon be expiring. I very carefully measured out the dose and swallowed it. I was so happy, as I just knew this would allow me a good night's sleep.

It did just the opposite. I would doze, then jerk awake. Sometimes shivering and sometimes in a pool of sweat. I was up every three hours swallowing Tylenol, then aspirin. At 3:04, Martha, the boy cat woke me to go outside. I had just settled in and dozed off. Every time I got up, my canine children moved into the warm spot I vacated and took up residence. Meaning that every time I got back into bed, I would have to move three dogs over.

Now, the day is coming to an end. My headache is back, although not as bad as it was yesterday and all night. If I can keep the headache under control, I might just make it. I even managed to make the bed and do the dishes! Not many dishes, mainly soup bowls and glasses. I am drinking orange juice and pineapple juice, some times a little 7-Up to liven it all up. Still no appetite. I ate a piece of dry toast today, tasted like cardboard. Gee, I hope I lose a few pounds.

I have one dose of cough syrup left and am saving it for tonight. I have decided that I will be all better tomorrow, as if this week never happened. Think positive!