Quarantine
I am beginning to think that all of those years "missing" out on the common cold have caught up with me. It all began just after Thanksgiving when my husband came down with a cold...then my son...then me. We worked through it (with my hard working husband actually taking days off from work so he could just rest...which is unheard of, we're both workaholics), and finally were better by the first weekend in December. Give us a few days.
Round 2 strikes...then round three...then I start to lose count. I know we were all well for Christmas, but pretty much miserable from New Years until the second week in January. Then we hit a spell where we were well for a while...and then I got laryngitis at the end of January...and we have all been "trading" off the cold and sore throat since then...with me sitting here tonight still congested after 4 days.
I've had to cancel play dates (both those we were attending and at least one we hosted), a BUNCO night with a group of Moms I know, now two dinners that I had planned to drop off for families with new additions, not to mention my son's educational playgroup and his music class. Add on get togethers with family and friends (including post-poning my family birthday party because I was not well), a date night with my husband, and most housework. Just about the only things I haven't put on hold are my doctors appointments (as there's at least one each week) and being a Mom. Moms just don't get to be sick.
I tried laying on the couch for a little while this evening as I feel like crap, worked a good part of the day getting a room ready for my son to make the transition to a big bed (which my husband is upstairs battling right now), and just felt like 30 minutes of shut eye would greatly help. No such luck. If it wasn't my son popping up onto the couch to check out sleeping Mom, it was my husband wondering when we were going to feed my son...who has been a bit of a whiner today. I know they can't help it, but unless I go up to my room and shut the door, they think I'm fair game. Guess I should take the clue.
I did have a nice conversation with the nurse from my insurance company last night - just a check in call to see how I was doing. Everything remains positive...except the sickness. The nurse even said I should probably mention something to my physician so they know that I've had a cold on and off since Thanksgiving. I have to wonder if there is anything that they can actually DO about it...or if I'll just sound like a complainer. I know that they're not going to toss me some antibiotics (nor would I want them to), and they're probably going to tell me to drink plenty of fluids and get some rest. I'm trying desperately to do both...and it's challenging on both fronts.
Once again I had another vivid birth dream last night...and it was a boy again. This time I delivered at my parent's house...like 5 months early (which would be about now)...but the baby was still 9lbs 4oz. I took the Plaquenil last night, so I'm wondering if the dreams are tied to the medication, or just the pregnancy. I'm going to watch and see how it goes this week and if I have these types of dreams on the nights I don't take the medication. I'd settle for a good nights' sleep and waking up not congested. It's hard enough to breathe when you're pregnant, so add on the congestion and blocked nose and it's a fight. That's what is making it tough to drink. Feel like every time I swallow I'm short of breath. The fun never ends. I just keep thinking about all of the people in the world who have it worse than I do. Those with terminal illnesses, in hospitals, and even those who aren't able to conceive. I'm not sitting here whining (or hopefully it doesn't come across that way), just trying to document how I'm feeling and what I'm going through...as it's part of my life.