Why I was quiet last week (warning: some TMI)

I really am hoping to get back to at least weekly posts. I had the best of intentions to write (or start writing) something Sunday, the 13th.

Then I woke up with a cold. I had felt fine the night before, so I might have caught it at the party I went to Saturday.

Oof

To be fair, I wasn’t miserable the way I’ve been with colds in the past. But the first three days, I was somewhat weary when sitting up — and that’s over and above my usual background fatigue.

Still, I didn’t feel like I got hit by a truck, which was more than I can say for the last couple of colds I’ve had in recent years.

Mostly, I was just wiped and not in any shape to sit down and write a post.

Oh and I lost all but maybe 20% to 30% of my voice. And the cough got progressively worse in the initial five days, to the point that my upper back was pretty pissy starting Day 2.

So I spent a lot of last week catching up on emails, then lying in bed watching TV and eating junk food and trying not to feel overly sorry for myself, since it still wasn’t as miserable as past colds.

But wait, there’s more

But — and here’s the first TMI — the cold came on top of a yeast infection that Monistat hadn’t worked on. So the cold was insult to injury.

So by the end of Day 1, I decided I need a prescription. I croaked out a voicemail to my doctor asking her to call in diflucan, an anti-fungal.

I’d mentioned the nasty cold as an apology for the coughing/barely-audible voice. So I woke up Monday morning to prescriptions for two doses of diflucane, but also a Z-pack and cough syrup.

(For anyone who doesn’t know, a Z-pack is a five-day pack of high-dose antibiotics.)

Normally, I wouldn’t have filled the prescription — it’s not good to take antibiotics if it’s just a cold — but my birthday was only five days away. I figured I’d take it just in case I had an actual upper respiratory infection rather than a cold, Because, dammit, I wanted to be well enough to celebrate on Saturday the 19th.

Oh c’mon!

But, probably because of the antibiotics, even with two doses of probiotics and an extra yogurt each day, I had to take the second dose of diflucan. Whee.

On Thursday, I thought I was getting close to the end of the cold. Then I got a second dose of insult to injury: my period started.

I was mildly annoyed, both in general and because I’d really thought getting the IUD last year would end them. (Seems especially unfair given the suckiness of my reaction to the placement.) But by that point in the week, I was at a “Of course it did” place emotionally.

Besides, I figured it might help the yeast infection, which hadn’t budged.

Fingers crossed

Friday, I was hopeful that the cold was waning and would be gone for my birthday the following day. But as the night wore on, I started steeling myself for the reality.

So when I woke up Saturday with enough symptoms to definitely still be contagious, I was disappointed but not depressed when I had to cancel drinks with a group of friends at the bar.

What I think helped

Honestly, I was strangely comforted by how many people had wanted to come celebrate with me. It would’ve been a 13-person group.

Even when I had my old group of friends, that meant my social circle was five people, plus another friend I knew through a different MeetUp group.

Then after my stupid mistake/thoughtlessness in June 2021, the only person I had in town was He Who No Longer Wishes to Be Named Here. (The other friend had moved to a small town about two hours away.)

Well, two people from the old group still come out to my game nights, birthday parties and any groups I organize to go see a show. But we’re in sporadic communication otherwise.

Point being, 26 months ago, I had three people in my social circle.

Comparatively, 12 people were coming to celebrate my birthday with me, and there were another four or five friends who couldn’t make it.

Knowing that I have so many people in my life who like to spend time with me/care about me is… pretty great.

Another factor

What also helped is a visit from a new friend I made a couple months ago. I really value his friendship; and whenever we get together, we talk for ages. (Before anyone asks, it’s purely platonic. He’s not my type.)

He’s still building his own social network here in Phoenix, and he offered to come over Wednesday, since I’d had to cancel trivia (which he was going to).

I told him I was still pretty contagious, but he sent me a snippet, which said that people with AB blood are more resilient against things like colds. I told him to come on over then.

And when I had to cancel my birthday plans, he came over with a Jack in the Box chocolate milkshake and mini-cake. I introduced him to The Good Place, and that’s how I spent the afternoon/evening of my birthday.

So despite having a cold, my period and a yeast infection, I can say that my birthday could’ve been way more of a bummer than it was.

And really, nothing touches my birthday two years ago when I had to get a nasal swab and isolate due to suspected COVID exposure.

Anyway…

As of Monday, the period remained, but the other two were all but gone. Even so, I cancelled plans with Future State Trooper Guy, just in case I had another day of contagiousness left.

But since Tuesday, my socializing schedule has been back on track. I was finally able to see Pirate Party Guy Tuesday again. About friggin time!

And it’s kind of nice that I stayed vaguely optimistic and definitely not too self-pitying during the cold. It reassures me that I’m probably in a good place mentally and emotionally.

But yeah, that’s why the blog was quiet last week.

Here’s hoping I have enough posts in me to stay at least semi-regular in a posting schedule.

Anyone else get taken down by an illness recently?