What they actually look like...
And what feels like has crawled in my nose and is sitting on my chest today...
Yeah...yeah...seven years fighting Cancer...and here I am bitching about a garden variety cold.
Go figure.
I've come to realize that the Rhinovirus is like that mean kid that follows the high-school bully around. So, after he beats the crap out of you, the rhinovirus can kick you while you are laying there in a heap on the ground and echo the last few words the bully said...you know...just to make sure you heard them.
So Saturday night...when FRED helped me hit-the-wall in a bad way...a great deal self-inflicted since I had not taken my Antivert...for a while...which leads to horrible nausea and vomiting....which led to me not taking my pain medication...which means at 2:00 in the morning my HEAD feels like it is exploding...and causes the added benefit of more nausea and vomiting exacerbating the by now dehydration.
Yeah, I was a mess.
Saved by Chris and Tina who came (...after a 2:30 AM call...something I swore I would never put my kids through...) But thank goodness they were home and were really wonderful about it. Any girl who can hold your hair/a bag while you are throwing up everything...even the crackers and Sprite they are trying to get down you to stabilize the situation...is beyond daughter-in-law status. Christopher was quick thinking and realized what had happened and got Antivert down me...went out and got Saltines and Sprite at omigod: hundred hours. Got my pain meds down me. And both of them stayed until the entire ordeal had stabilized. I was pretty much beyond embarrassment at that point, and so very grateful. And they were funny and chatty and even by the end were discussing politics and Boehner's resignation. The Congressman and "Pope Water" and musing if I had just had a sip of said water it would have "probably cured my cancer, anyway".
They really are amazing kids.
Anyway...there...on that bathroom floor...while laying in an exhausted trembling heap. I know the local Rhinovirus had to be creeping ever closer to kick me in the ribs (or maybe the nose) while I was down.
I know this because Sunday morning, I had survived the prior night, which felt iffy at the time, and was washed out but good. Baked more apple butter and made chicken and dumplings. Noticed a slight soreness in the back of my throat but attributed it to the evening's heaving. And I had myself pretty convinced until evening when the sneezes came. Then the eyes and the sinus pain...and Monday's congestion.
Finally acknowledged it for what it was...an opportunistic cold virus.
"Couldn't help but notice you were already feeling horrible, mate. Thought I'd hang around a bit."
Bah...
So here we are, then. Forcing fluids, sleeping, steamy baths and feeding my face. The brakes put on the Rattlesnake Chili Supper until I can smell/taste again. Avoiding others until I am no longer a seething bag of germs. Alcohol gelling everything.
Stupid rhinovirus.
I YIELD, okay?
More anon....
