"Cough. Wheeze. Hack." Just once....

The BBQ Pit
1

RANT

Just once I would like to get a cold and have my body deal with it normally. Just once I’d like to get a fucking cold, let it hang around for the usual proscribed amount of time, and then watch it go away. Yea. I want a normal fucking cold. But, it’s probably not going to happen, damn it.

I have asthma. Ok, well, I don’t actually have asthma. I have something that is NOT asthma, but isn’t anything else, either. Multiple doctors in three large teaching hospitals have been stumped by this thing I have, that I call NARD for short: Not Asthma Respiratory Disease. I’ve given up ever knowing what it really is, and I’m ok with that. I tell coworkers it’s asthma so I don’t have to explain all this to them.

Most of the time I’m fine. Unlike an asthmatic, I don’t have to do the regulatory meds, peak flows, prednisone, etc. I did that stuff until it was established that I don’t actually have the disease. Anyway, I know that all of the meds & regiments & stuff asthmatics have to do suck, but are really important for controlling the disease.

However, I have no control over this. And I hate it! When I get a fucking little virus, all hell breaks loose. Thursday I got the virus --no big deal, just a sore throat. I thought for sure that by Sunday I was kicking viral ass. This time it would be different. This time, my body would avenge me. No. Sunday night comes and I’m feeling worse. Monday and I’m worse still. And this morning…it’s the old familiar body wracking coughing, wheezing, etc. So, that means a trip to the dr., steroids, inhalers and antibiotics. Yea!!!

I know in the grand scheme of things things could be much worse. I have insurance and can afford the meds. I will get better in a few days. I just wish every little virus didn’t mean coughing and hacking and wheezing, loosing time in doctors’ offices, sick leave from work, no voice for a few days, exhaustion and just this feeling that my body is wimpass-ish and unable to fend off a simple fucking virus.

Thus endeth my first ever rant. It seems a little weak to me, but who am I to judge?

2

Silly question - if they knew it was a virus, why did they give you antibiotics? I didn’t think that antibiotics did anything against the more viral fare.

3

The virus turns into bacterial bronchitis/sinus infection type thing – that is part of what causes the not-asthma thing to kick into gear.

That’s the theory…
This is the 2nd episode I’ve had since moving, and both times my new dr. has prescribed antibiotics. I’m not sure they’re necessary, but I never feel like arguing once it gets to this point. I’ve been thinking about asking her to do a culture or blood test next time.

4

You have my sympathy.

I do have asthma and I follow the exact same path twice a year. Cold->Tonsilities->Ear Infection->Bronchitis->Strep Throat. Asthma acting up all the while. They know what’s wrong with me and it sucks. I imagine it’s worse for you, not knowing.

5

Your subject line made me think of a professor of mine who would chant “snort sniff cough” if he felt the students were making too many extraneous noises. But this is a fellow who would also hit himself in the head while lecturing, so he was always a bit weird.

6

It’s probably non-microbial pneumonia.

Stay the hell away from me. You’ve probably got a mycoplasma infection in your lungs.

I’ll KILL you if you infect me with mycoplasma.

7

I think what you have is what they call “asthma that kids grow out of”. My kid used to get SOOOOO sick. He’d get pneumonia all the time and had the bronchial ailments. Then when he became an adult, it pretty much knocked it down to once or twice a year. I feel sorry for you. It hits and explodes in a matter of hours.

8

I feel your pain, Mariachi Kitty. When I was younger, I experienced flash pulmonary edema (in which my lungs magically, suddenly filled with fluid during surgery) which resulted in heavy-duty pneumonia and a lengthy stay in the ICU. Subsequently, my lungs aren’t so great anymore. Being around too much cigarette smoke can trigger a bronchial infection, and any cold is tortuous. Not to mention that I get bronchitis and strep throat on a very regular basis. So I know how much it sucks. cough sniffle snort sneeze

9

If you haven’t had a pneumonia shot, get one. Winters are MUCH easier on me now.