It's the flu, at least that I know for certain

This is going to be a first for me. I'm going to post a blog while laying on my back.  I just wanted to say I may not be writing or reafing other blogs right now, apparently I've got thr flu.

The irony here kills me--my last post I wrote about being good from the neck down (because of probiotics).  And then on Sunday, I'd just finished a nice dinner of baked chicken, roasted broccoli & mashed potatoes and was settling in to watch the Superbowl (of course I'm a Steelers fan but my friend Margaret's Seahawks was playing) when I got an increasingly painful stabbing in my stomach.  Gall bladder attack.

It's been awhile but it's not something you forget.  It lasted from 8:20 to 10:30, by the time it ended I was so worn out I went to bed,  Fell asleep, woke up at 1am with a bad fever and every inch of my body in awful pain.

And this is the only place I've been since Sunday night, in this bed. It takes everything in me just to get up to use the bathroom or to get some juice & water.  The fever has been awful, keeps climbing up to 103.8 then dies down after a couple hours, then back up again... last night I could not get a wink of sleep, I asked AI what to do.  It suggested a very cold wet washcloth on the head and that did the trick.

I haven't had any coffee since Sunday mormng, and this is from someone who drinks 4-5 cups a day.  I just realized, is my brain having caffeine withdrawal?  It's been aching nonstop since Monday.

Also haven't had a thing to eat--well, 2 bites of the top half of a Thomas' English Muffin.  Just the thought of any food makes me queasy.

Anyway, this morning it occurred to me--what if this is covid?   I had a couple test kits in my medicine cabinet, took one, it came up negative (below).   But the box says "EXP DATE:  11/25".  That's only a couple months, right?  That shouldn't be a big deal right?

Okay I need to close this up and try to eat a bowl of cereal or something.  (It jsut has to be cold.  No hot foods.)  Thank you for reading, hope everyone out there is well and Margaret I sure was glad to hear who won that game. 😊

All things considered, my system is looking good from the neck down

First things first, I'm a little bummed.  I woke up this morning "smelling long covid"  (the distinct odor of burnt hair & eggs in my nostrils) and a sore face & neck, and mild burning around my eyes.  Hoping it doesn't last the whole day.  But yesterday (Friday) I woke up feeling pretty good, and it stayed that way throughout the day.  I walked thru a pretty heavy snowstorm at 10am to get a haircut, then to Kuhn's for some spicy pineapple ham for breakfast sandwiches and some fried fish, stewed tomatoes and jalapeno macaroni for my Friday dinner.

Came home to find a voicemail from my old friend Roger, and we got into a lively discussion about the future of Star Trek and physical media.  All nerdy stuff and a lot of fun.  Late last night while 45 mph winds whipped thru the city and dumped another 3 inches of snow, I made some hot cocoa and wrote a new blog about our talk--then changed my mind about posting it this morning.  (But if you want to see it, let me know!)

I just wish I could be thru with these long covid symptoms once and for all.  It makes no sense how it can come on so strong for days, then vanish overnight for a day.  At the start of this past week I was looking at the Senior Center's monthly activity calendar and saw they had a lunch outing planned for Feb 11 to the Walnut Grille, a very nice restaurant.  I haven't been on a senior lunch outing since September, so I sent in a request to join them for lunch that day.

They kindly responded and told me I couldn't come, they'd already reached their quota of people and suggested next time I let them know sooner.  A week's notice wasn't enough?  Bummer.  I plan to make something extra special for dinner on Wednesday.

Anyway, I'm getting off track here.  I may boo-hoo about my chronic post-covid discomfort or missed lunch opportunities, but I don't take the good stuff for granted either.  Back in October I wrote a post (it's right here) about my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), something I've been wrestling with for 10 years.  I was diagnosed with it in 2019. 

Weekly bouts of painful stomach cramps (some have sent me to the ER), extreme bloating that lasts for 3-4 weeks, extended trips to the bathroom several times a day, constant dosing of Pepto-Bismol for chronic diarrhea or Dulcolax for week-long bouts of constipation.  

Then one night on the news I saw a story where probiotics was helping people with their IBS symptoms, contacted my doctor and told him about the story.  I must've studied and read reviews on 25 different brands, until settling on the label Physician's Choice.  They weren't cheap, but not terribly expensive either.  Around $40.00 for a 60 day supply.

It occurred to me just recently that in the last 3 1/2 months, I have not taken a SINGLE dose of Pepto, Mira-Lax, Gas-X, or Dulcolax.   That isn't a "That's nice, Doug" thing--that's huge.  I was accustomed to using these products daily.  I did have one "gallbladder attack" (I'm not sure that was it, but it felt like it) a couple weeks ago, but it only lasted 30 minutes.  Not 2-3 hours like it always used to.

I told my friend Diana this the other night, and said "It could just be a coincidence, but I've been dealing with IBS issues daily for years.  And 2 weeks after I began taking those probiotics in October, they stopped?"  She said "Oh yes, I'm sure it's just a coincidence!"

Just thought I'd share that update, since it's such a positive one.  If you ever wrestle with such things, this might be something to consider.  I sure hope I didn't jinx anything and wind up in the bathroom all day tomorrow!  I also hope this wasn't TMI.  I think I'll grab a cup of coffee and a couple cookies, and re-read that Trek blog I wrote last night.  Maybe I'll post it after all. 😏

Dumb but True Stories, Vol. 3: All I need now is a shawl and a Tweety-Bird

Recently I told my friend Diana that it was time to start living vicariously, and when she asked what I meant by that, I said that after years of eating only Corn Chex I was going to try every flavor of Chex cereal available at the market.

Wheat Chex, Chocolate Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Peanut Butter Chex, Cinnamon Chex, Blueberry Chex.  (There's also a Strawberry Vanilla Chex, but it's not at my store.)

I have to say I enjoyed both the Chocolate Chex and Peanut Butter Chex cereals very much.  

It was only after I finished both boxes that it occurred to me, why didn't I have a bowl of both cereals mixed together?  "Hey, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter!"  "Well, you got your peanut butter on my chocolate!"

Remember those old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercials from the '70s?

Anyway, the Blueberry Chex was last on my list.  After having a bowl, I called Diana and told her I felt sort of funny.  She asked what I meant.  I said I had an overwhelming urge to wrap a shawl around my shoulders, buy a tweety bird and take up knitting.  The cereal made me feel like Granny from those old Warner Bros cartoons.

Diana asked what the ingredients of the cereal were.  I said "The others are hearty corn or wheat.  This one is rice lace, dusted with Blueberry Powder and Rosemary Extract.  If that doesn't sound like little old lady ingredients, then I don't know what does."

While Diana rolled her eyes, I shivered and told her I had to go.  I wanted to make a hot cup of tea and watch my story, then look at old photos and organize my pill bottles.

Not wanting to be a Grannydug again anytime soon, I went back to my regular Corn Chex (and Grape Nut Flakes, that's been my favorite since I was 12).  But a couple days ago, I was at the store in the cereal aisle, and saw the Blueberry Chex, and told myself "Just buy the darn cereal Doug, it's not made for grannies only."  

I headed up front and got in Jessie's aisle (the 21 year old checker who likes to tease and call me 'Boomer', I wrote about her before here).

Jessie smiled at me, and asked how my day was going.  She's a nice young woman.  When she got to the Blueberry Chex, she said "Oh, you'll really like this."  I said "Do you like it?"   She said "No I've never tried it.  But it's the only cereal my grandmother eats, she loves it!"