It's liquid gold

It's been a long, blurry week.  I kept up my I'll-get-better-soon mantra for most of it, because I knew that running to the doctor would only yield the "keep up the symptomatic care" line and while I like my PCP, I don't love her.  She's okay.

However, after a few nights of a cough that didn't let me sleep, I relented and called for an appointment yesterday.  I probably would have let the exterminator examine me if he could prescribe medication, I felt that bad.  Besides, it's hard to convince anyone you feel okay when you sound like a horrible, nonsexy version of Lauren Bacall--given you could speak between the cough spasms.  I nearly wept when the receptionist found me an appointment at 9, which was a mere 45 minutes away. 

The PA was in and out in a flash.  I barely had time to think about an answer to his questions, but the bottom line was he said he thought I was probably getting better, but might be headed for bronchitis ("You sound on the line, but since your cough just started a couple of days ago" <--not his fault--I thought he wasn't listening to me, but truly, I forgot what day it was, so when I said "a couple of days" what I should have said is "five or six days") and gave me a prescription for antibiotics and one for cough syrup with codeine.   He advised me to "wait a day or two and see how you feel, and if you feel worse, or aren't any better, start the antibiotic.  Make sure you get some Mucinex, too." 

Dude, you had me at "cough syrup with codeine."  

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable."  Now hand over the 'scripts, and no one will get hurt.

After my appointment, I took Ryan to the pediatrician, as he is suffering a cough too.  They were b-u-s-y and we had to wait a long time (almost an hour, no joke), during which I did cough up a lung and nearly fell asleep in the exam room.  The nurse practioner came into the room, looked at me, and said, "You sound worse than he does.  Did you see your dr?"  "Yes."  "You have bronchitis, don't you?"   Any doubt I might have had about starting the antibiotic the PA gave me was erased.  Ryan sounded more asthma-y to her, so he is on some inhalers and I am taking him back on Monday for a recheck.

I got the antibiotic filled, I took it, I'm taking it--I got some sleep last night (certainly more than the night before) and today I feel almost human. 

So much so that I was contemplating going to pick up my new geekalicious prescription lab goggles...but it's a 35-40 minute drive away, and I got tired just driving Nolan to school this morning.  Besides, it's hard to drive a straight line when you're having a violent coughing fit.

Instead, I am taking a much needed shower, a shot of the elixir-from-the-gods, and I'm laying/lying/I'll be horizontal down.

If I nap, I'll just consider it a bonus.