Friday, May 1, 2009

A Dose of Infection!!! Oh, Noes!!! Bring Out Your Dead!!!

Hah, not the piercings, peasants, but my lungs, my good ol' lungs.

Had to leave work early today. I could barely talk, and breathing hurt, and I was alternately sweating like a pig and freezing like a frozen thing. Everyone else in the call center was just freezing.

Practically as soon as I signed in, I begged one of my supervisors--who kept moving away from me, because I was both coughing and sweating copiously--to turn on one of the ceiling fans halfway between his desk and mine. He backed away some more, and he said I could turn it on myself, just go to this pylon in the corner, there's a hi-lo switch. . . .

Ladies and gentlemen, we had fan! And glares, since everyone else was cold.

A little later, as I executed a delirious Mary Tyler Moore-spin under the fan, I told a coworker between wracking coughs: "I wish my desk was right here."

My supervisor: "I don't."

Another coworker kept going "sooey" and telling me to go home 'cause I was probably giving everyone the swine flu. I finally asked the scheduling supe if I could leave early if I brought in a doctor's note. I could, so I did. It's not like they woulda had much choice at that point, anyway. I lost my voice shortly after I left. They'd have been paying me to do bugger-all, since I'd have been unable to answer a phone.

Doc prescribed antibiotics and special cough medicine with codeine in it, so Nyquil can go fuck its mother.

Was gonna see Wolverine tonight with friends, but it means delaying the antibiotics--seriously don't want the side effects starting when I'm in transit or in cinema--so I might not. . . .

But I really wanna. I probably will. It's not like I have to jog in place for the length of the movie. My lungs should be fine for a little while longer. And my friends already know I'm sick, so if they're still badgering me to come along, that means they don't mind the risk of contagion. Love me, love my viruses.

Nevertheless, my piercings are all swollen and crusty. I keep them clean, and choose to see that crusty swollenness as healing. But my face kinda hurts again, so I'm a bit worried.

7 comments:

  1. I didn't know you could get your lungs pierced, that's a new one. ;)

    If you go into a movie theatre with a cough now, you could seriously get stoned by an angry mob.

    Besides, you've got codeine?
    Stay home and enjoy it.

    (also, you doc will tell you that an infected piercing can travel into your lungs and elsewhere, plz be careful R)

    Jew-boy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You know it, lungs pierced with surgical steel, got some spikes on the ends of the barbell for that punk-look :D

    Nevertheless, I've put off Wolverine for two whole days. I think that qualifies me for sainthood. I'm going this afternoon, with however many friends I can scare up. Cough, or not.

    Though I've gotten better, lol. Not coughing nearly as much, or nearly as hard. The bloody phlegm is much less bloody. It's Miller Time.

    I don't really like codeine--makes me nod off.

    I totally forgot to tell my doc the piercing was new. But the antibiotics she gave me are strong (bronchitis strength, she said), so if it's a piercing-related bug causing all this mishegoss, then it'll be zapped just as well.

    But I'll be careful. I'm a hypochondriac. I read dire meanings into every hiccup :)


    Typhoid R

    ReplyDelete
  3. Codeine is cool, but vicodin rocks! If you won't be using it, uh....

    Sounds like your doc didn't think it was swine flu. Anti-biotics would be useless against a viral infection.

    I didn't know anti-biotics had side-effects. Never have with me and I've never been warned about them!

    You know what's funny? I came to your blog to leave a note and ask if you were ok since I hadn't seen you around anywhere.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hope you start feeling better soon. Take care of yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't really like codeine--makes me nod off..

    Well duh.
    That's like saying "I don't like alcohol, it makes me drunk."

    Who wants to be conscious in this nasty world?
    I've learned more healthy, and natural ways to be at peace with the world, but teh wurld stynx.

    Lobotomy! lobotomy!
    We accept you, we accept you, one of us! one of us!

    One day after needing more and more steel to satisfy your perverse lusts, you're gonna get yer brain pierced, aren't ya?

    Gabba, gabba hey!

    Praying, yes praying~ that you are feeling better Rachel.

    The hop-along Jew-boy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Raaachel!!
    Come out and plaaayaaay!

    Have not seen you around R.
    And since we last heard from you, your were sick.
    I pray that you are well Rachel.

    Your friend,
    Dani' El

    ReplyDelete