I'm finally recovering (I hope) from a particularly nasty summer "cold." It started out a week ago with a sudden painful "tightness" in my lower neck and throat. Then, as the pain lessened, the malady progressed to a painless laryngitis which lasted for two or three days. There was a night of feverish discomfort followed by a day or two of relatively minor sniffles — no big deal. Then Sunday night things really went pear-shaped. A tickle in the throat became frequent coughing and I delivered myself to the couch for a night of restless sleep in an effort to avoid waking She Who Must Be Obeyed. By Monday morning I was weak, feverish, head aching, with no appetite. I called off work, returned to bed where I spent the entire day in uncomfortable, fitful sleep. After an evening watching TV (still not eating) I went to bed and had another six hours of pretty good sleep. Arising today I felt much better. There was a headache, a bit more energy, but the definite knowledge that I belonged at home and not at work. My appetite began to return mid-morning today, the headache departed, coughs are infrequent, though I'm still a bit weak in the knees and my nose remains drippy. I expect I'll be back at work tomorrow. What a week, ugh!
health
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She hadn't spoken about it often but She Who Must Be Obeyed was seriously interested in purchasing a new bicycle for herself. We had visited one bicycle shop together not long ago and she had visited a bicycle shop earlier in the week by herself. In neither case did she find what she was after. So yesterday we headed out to Eddy's Bike Shop in Stow, Ohio. One of their staff spoke with her at length about what she wanted: the Right Fit, light weight, excellent quality and the choices were narrowed to one Trek and one Cannondale. Today we revisited the shop, this time She wore full bicycle riding garb in preparation for test rides. She did the rides (in very high heat and humidity) and, returning from the second ride with a big grin, chose the Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4. The beautiful machine is built around a carbon fiber frame and festooned with components that would make many a weekend racer drool with envy. So now, equipped with a healed heart and a top-notch bicycle, She is bound to be pushing me to ride every weekend from now through autumn. Fortunately, I think I'll be able to keep up… at least for a while.
It should be recorded that She Who Must Be Obeyed was checked by her cardiologist last Friday and given the go-ahead to go back to work and to drive her car. Of the two, She was happiest about the driving bit; the going back to work was greeted with mixed feelings. She returned to the office Monday (Jan. 11) and is doing quite well.
I walked into her hospital room tonight to discover two doctors talking with her. So, straight from the doctors' mouths… She Who Must be Obeyed is to be discharged tomorrow morning!
She is a bit feeble still, but able to walk steadily for short distances without assistance. We'll get details about post-discharge medications, suggested exercise, limitations, upon discharge.
I think She should stay home and out of sight: Her neck is all bruised and has puncture marks; her arms look that way, too. I might be accused of spousal abuse! Hmmmmm…. it is turtleneck sweater weather!
Her heart may not be bionic but it has been rebuilt so, look out world, here she comes!
As the day progressed today (Thursday) I've begun to feel more like my healthier self. I'm still taking a cough suppressant/decongestant to relieve some cold symptoms: except for a little sniffle and the occasional clear cough, my outward symptoms are gone. No fever, no chills, and energy levels are coming back up. I'm feeling stronger and have more stamina. I'll be going in to work tomorrow.
After watching a 2005 Biography Channel program about the Dalai Lama today, I've also been reminded I've been increasingly off-center in my life recently, mainly thanks to work. Sometimes we lose track of how we should live even when we think we're trying to do the right thing. Enough said, here.
I received word this evening that my first of two ordered copies of the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade has been shipped to me via Amazon. I was actually hoping to have received it today –release day– so that I could mess with upgrading my notebook computer over the weekend. I doubt I'll get it before Monday and I'll be too busy next week to install. Oh well, sometimes the anticipation is more enjoyable than the activity… er, yes, in more things than this!
Oh yes, it's good to feel well again… or to be headed in that direction!
Above: Another photo from my Tuesday evening shoot along the West Branch of Rocky River… the Frostville Village Church.
DOWNSIDE: I spent the week dealing with eye irritation. The doctor says it's likely a little infection that eye drops will clear up. Still, I prefer contact lenses to eye glasses — the spectacles get in the way at the camera viewfinder and telescope eyepiece and don't correct well for computer monitor distances. Oh, and doc says I need to ditch my contacts — germs may have taken refuge deep inside the silicone matrix ready to attack again!
UPSIDE: I sold the Canon PowerShot A650 IS camera! It really is a fine little camera, as demonstrated in this blog. Excellent optics and exposure system. I wasn't crazy about the viewfinder, however, or LCD composing of shots, or its macro function. It'll be a great camera for its buyer and I'll stick with my bulkier Fuji FinePix when not using the DSLRs.
WEEKEND: No plans as yet. I hope to complete selection of photographs for my little October showing. I guess I need to actually work on that if it's to get done. Better quit writing and start editing!
The tinnitus is much improved today, not nearly so loud. I cannot say it's the ginkgo biloba –it's supposed to take longer to act– but I am very glad the sound has diminished. I'd like it to just go away and stay away. Happily, my hearing is otherwise excellent.
My tinnitus has been really kicking up over the past few days. That's the so-called "ringing in the ears" that people can get. In my case it's a very high-pitched sound, not a pure tone, over a range of frequencies so high it's a combination of squeal and a hiss. Fortunately it's something I've been able to tolerate pretty well, only occasionally getting really annoying, as it has lately. I've decided to give ginkgo biloba a try; there have been some positive results reported with that. I've started taking 60 mg twice a day with meals for a total of 120 mg — what Dr. Weil recommends. If it doesn't work for the tinnitus, it's said to have other benefits so it hopefully won't be a total waste. We'll see how it goes!
PhotonStopper 