I am improving, but I do have scary episodes where I can’t breathe. Thus, I went to the local Providence Urgent Care to be checked out and see if I could do anything. Usually, allergies or a cold are something to survive; there are no fixes. In my case, the violence of coughing is bad, and I am now enduring harsh muscle complaints each time I cough, stand, or do anything that stretches my mid-body. The doctor prescribed a cough suppressant, one I have used before, and I agreed to have it delivered at my local pharmacy, a nearby Walgreens. CVS is in the news for being fined millions for failing to safely run a pharmacy, RiteAid closed the local one, and the remaining ones often take three days to fill a prescription (their warehouse fills the prescriptions and then mails them to the regional locations), and so I thought Walgreens might work. I get there, and there is a paper sign; starting last week, the pharmacy has been closed on Sundays. Puke. I will wait until Monday to likely learn it will take them three days to fill it. I use the mail Optima Pharmacy to ensure I get an Rx in a few days.
So I slept in the chair in the living room. If I lay down, the bashee screams start in my lungs. It is pretty loud and syncopated, so it is hard to ignore. This sleeping process is more of a nod-off and then waking to cough. Tonight, the length of time is longer, and I can manage likely an hour of sleep once or twice. I tried to do this in my bed, but I just fell over and tried to sleep until the bashee screams of wheezing drove back to the living room. It sucks, but I can see that the cough is already fading, and I am dealing with the leftovers. The banshees come when I am overly tired. It is familiar, tedious, and quite painful.
Next time, I will have a supply of the cough suppressant (I only had one pill left), as it may get filled after I return to work. I need to stop the coughs from hurting me. I cleaned up and headed to the Urgent Care. This is a new one just minutes away; I love that. It would be perfect if it had a pharmacy! I was inside wearing a mask, and they checked me out. My blood pressure was perfect, and my O2 level was 96–good enough. The provider, a big man with a full beard and a mask that created a comical figure, was to the point and precise. I had RSV or a cold or allergies. My breathing issues are related to light bronchitis he can hear and violent coughing causing a bronchial spasm or in other words, asthma. He recommended using my emergency inhaler when the problem occurs (he did not say, “thus the word emergency,” but I could see he was thinking it). If I can’t breathe or breathing gets difficult, head not to the Urgent Care but the ER; he informed me that the ER is equipped for that, but this clinic is not. He re-prescribed the strong cough suppressant I had used before.
Not disappointed, except with Walgreens, I returned home and read and rested for a while. I stayed with a sweater and t-shirt, a bit plain, and headed to Beaverton’s First United Methodist Church. Dondrea was preaching, and a friend was making an announcement, so I headed in Air Volvo to Beaverton despite the choking cough. Also, I was meeting with the church folks on the final details for Susie’s Celebration after church.
I was sleep-deprived and still coughing, and the pain was barely controlled by painkillers, so my memory of the service has faded. Dondrea sermon was on an impossible text that is usually not the subject of a sermon. The Book of Acts stories of when Paul is shipped wrecked and has other traveling adventures to reach Rome. Dondrea does an excellent job mixing the challenges in her life with the challenges faced by Paul. She found that we need to remember that the challenges will come, and we need to accept them and accept help; that is what Paul did. She also points out that Luke, the author of Acts, says, “Then they reached Rome.” The completion of the trip was not the focus; the voyage and how we interact with people and events are what matters.
A friend of mine came out to the church as a Drag Performer and said he was back. We were all happy for the person. I will not say more as it is someone else’s story.
I also learned that friends at work lost their daughter in surgery last night. I have known them and their daughter for years. I am greatly saddened. Again, it is their story, so I shall leave out the names.
I met with the church folks, and we have a plan. I described the process I use to make grilled cheese and the recipes for the no-bake items for the party. I think 75 people is a maximum, but it may be more; it is hard to know.
I returned home in Air Volvo, exhausted, and ordered from Gyro House to send a lamb gyro, some dips, and a platter for Corwin. That was delivered, and it was too much food. I ate just the meat in my gyro after the first few bites.
My coughing fits slow, but the wheezing and bronchi spasms are still possible. I am getting better, but it is going slow. I rest and read. I bought a used book on Admiral Nelson from 1972 at Powell’s that I had not seen before that purports to be based on new sources. The writing style is slanted against the French and compares Napoleon to the Nazis, and calls the Czar insane. That is a bit far but not unusual in the world before we looked for balance in writing. The story is still fascinating and the writing-style a time capsile of what we don’t do now.
Bored and trying to not cough is not really and interesting time burning process, I put on Conan movies; yes Arnold! We watched the fun first and the more Dungeons and Dragons-style second movie. Always recommended. The second movie keeps a more comic books and PG rating (all the girls stay clothed).
My coughing was much reduced, and I microwaved large potatoes from the Vancouver Saturday market and covered them with chili from a can, shredded cheddar cheese, and some sour cream. I managed to eat that and almost finished it. While a carbo-bomb, it was a good dinner.
I returned to my bed and managed to read and sit up for a few hours. I could not find sleep. This is the usual problem after two days of inactivity, other than coughing–can’t sleep. I try the living room, but decide to just force it. I spent the night with the banshees, wheezing, screaming me a wake, but I managed to get some sleep and felt better to enjoy my bed. I also showered before bed and that got some warm wet air into my lungs and that helped too.
Not a great night, but better. I put in for Paid Time Off (PTO) for Monday as I am not ready to return to work.
And that takes me to the night trying to sleep. Thanks for reading!
Monday morning pic
Congrats to my cousin April, who got married to her love this weekend.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 