Two steps forward, one step back

Just when I started getting excited about everything that was going on, life gave me one more hurdle to jump--I thought I was on the upswing from the flu that I caught a couple weeks ago, but then Thursday night when I walked to the Safeway, I realized something just wasn't right.  It's only six blocks or so, but by the time I got there I was exhausted and felt kind of like I had asthma, but it just wouldn't really go away.  I went into work the next morning, but was still having the same feeling, and knew I had no choice but go to the doctor's.  I headed over there on my lunch break, only to find out that I'd actually developed both a respiratory and sinus infection.  Fun!  I guess sometimes I shouldn't be so tough on myself thinking I'm a wuss for being tired and not getting better fast enough, sometimes it really IS just that I'm not better yet!

So the doctor prescribed me some antibiotics and I called work telling them I wasn't going to make it back in, and headed over to the pharmacy.  My good friends will know how much of a fan of swallowing pills I am, so I was not to thrilled to begin with, but sucked it up and choked down the first dose.  The pamphlet about the antibiotics warned that it tended to irritate people's stomachs, but the pharmacist had said that there weren't really many options, so I just toughed out the bit of discomfort.

It was after I took the second dose later that evening that I all of a sudden started feeling really ill, incredibly nauseous, and crazy stomach pain.  I ended up on the phone with Scott at midnight, sobbing because I thought I was going to throw up and didn't feel good.  Which made me feel like a goon, cause I totally lost it, but it was just one thing after the other, and I was incredibly frustrated and tired.

Eventually I calmed down and went to bed, but when I woke up I still felt nearly as bad as the night before, so Scott came to get me and back to the doctor's office I went.  This time, I got prescribed a medication I had taken before (when I had my wisdom teeth out), but which isn't as strong of an antibiotic.  Scott headed back to work and Parveen and Alex came over to hang out and check up on me. Unfortunately, shortly after I took it, I got this weird itchy bruise rash thing on my hand.  I was kind of just in disbelief by this point, like seriously?! Cut me a fucking break!!!  I called the pharmacy and they told me it was probably an allergic reaction and to go back to the doctor AGAIN.

So Parveen took me back to the doctor...except since I just go to the walk in clinic, I got a crappy doctor who was really snippy with me, and then prescribed me a medication that is similar to one I'm allergic to, which didn't exactly make me feel very comfortable after everything that had already happened.  I was just too freaked, so we went to the clinic near my place to get a second opinion (I rarely go there because it kind of sucks and there's often huge waits), and waited 2 hours to see the doctor, Parveen the star friend that he is toughed out an incredibly long 2 hours by my side.  Luckily, the doctor was actually really good and seemed to know what he was talking about.

He said that the bruise/rash on my hand was not at all what kind of rash you get from the antibiotic I was on and that I could either try a different really strong antibiotic (not so recommended), or just keep taking the stuff I had since he didn't think that's what had bothered me (which is what he was recommending).  So even though I was a little (lot?) nervous about it I decided to stick with the stuff I was taking.  And it seems *knock on wood* that he was right.

My stomach's still feeling rough after that first antibiotic, and just because they are usually pretty tough on it anyway, but I think the infection is starting to clear.  So hopefully that will keep getting better quickly enough.  I'm just totally wiped after all this, and kind of wondering how I'm going to get through this last week of work in one piece.  I feel like I've been pushing myself so hard for the last month or so that I haven't got much push left in me at this point, but I know that I'm actually pretty strong and that I've made it through worse things.

I just have to try and stay calm about it and take one day at a time.  That, and I stocked up on frozen dinners and canned soup so I don't have to cook dinner all week.  Do what ya gotta do, right?

I am going to be so relieved when this week is over and I can just focus on getting my body back in fighting shape, and start to figure out where my new, and might I add more balanced, adventure will take me.