Thursday, April 07, 2016
For the past several months, I've been commenting back to some of my brother's blogs with the mantra that the goal was for him to be healthy at the starting line, a week from Monday!
It's almost like a running joke. But what I neglected in some of this is that *I* need to be healthy, too... to be at the finish line to cheer him (and others) across. Not to mention I have a Spark Meet planned during that trip with a couple of well-loved even though never met in person yet Spark friends!
I've probably whined enough about my various illnesses this year, but in my opinion I've had more than my share! This past Monday morning when I saw sinus swelling in the mirror, I started taking antihistamines... it's that time of year. And kept on going on with my day.
I had thought I might walk home from work Monday afternoon. I had just got back to training activity, and the classic walk home from work along the front part of the Lincoln marathon course sounded appealing. But I started feeling the beginnings of a sore throat, so I backed off, went home, headed to bed early.
Monday in the overnight, not pleasant, that throat. Tuesday morning I hit the grocery store at 4 something a.m. for sugar free popsicles. As I got hydrated, the throat felt better, so I went to work. Distraction, that's the ticket. But also planned carefully to leave on time and get to bed on time.
Tuesday night... it got worse. Very painful, and kept me from getting fully rested. Wednesday morning, after hydrating, again feeling somewhat better, went on to work, from whence I called the doctor's office.
Over the course of the day, had conversations with the nurse and over lunch break with a pharmacist. Both came to the conclusion, based on the symptoms I described, that I likely had strep throat, and I should get it checked out.
Sounded reasonable to me... of the nurse I asked, "dumb question... how contagious am I if it *is* strep? Should I be at work?"
"Well," she said, "as long as you're not kissing on people, and you aren't coughing (I wasn't) you're probably OK." In short... practice good hand washing. "But you'd be OK to go home, too." She said.
I left work about an hour early, with a confirmed appointment to see the doctor first thing this morning. Naturally, as when you take your car to a mechanic and it stops making "that noise"? I slept MUCH better last night, and while there was still pain when swallowing in the morning, it had moved to a different spot and was not as severe. I hydrated, had breakfast, did the tooth brushing / flossing etc. and went to the appointment.
At the door of the doctor's office, there was a sign that if you were there for cough, cold, or sore throat, ask for a face mask. For the first time in my life, I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room in a surgical mask. Advertising to all and sundry to "keep your distance" just in case!
A few minutes later... I was escorted back to the office. The usual interview questions about symptoms.
The usual vitals. And the doctor's "How are you?" with the joke this time that I can't use my usual joke line about being hungry and cold! I'd had breakfast and was fully clothed. Repeated questions, my description of what I'd tried to look at with my little dental mirror, comparison to the internet pictures that purport to tell the difference between strep and other forms of sore throat.
After his examination, he expressed the opinion he thought this was viral, as I didn't have the little white patches or pus visible, just redness. "But... just to be safe, we'll do the swab test, anyway." Sometimes, he said, fit individuals with strong immune systems would show negative on the initial "quick" test but if allowed to mature, a longer lasting test would show positive a while later... so his proposal was to do both tests.
Off to the lab. I could wait the 15 minutes for the results of the "quick" test, again "just in case". Well, guess what... even the quick test showed the infection to be strep! He pronounced my immune system strong, fighting it off as it has.
I am now the holder of a 10 day course of antibiotics, something called Zithromax (or rather, its generic equivalent), since I am allergic to the penicillin family. I've not tried this one before, and he said no work today, give it 24 hours to take hold. I will still be on it during the first few days of the trip. But I will be healthy to meet my friends and be at the finish line!
And since I really don't feel that bad... while I'm "taking it easy" I cooked a fresh big pot of veggie soup, made my tuna and egg salads, and am pretty much set with healthy fuel for the remaining days before the trip. As far as the training... as I keep advising friends... healthy first... training when healthy!
Now... I think a little nap might be in order! 
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