I Miss Dairy - Update Post

I started getting sick on Friday the 9th with a cold that exacerbated my asthma to the point where I called my asthma allergy specialist in desperation on Tuesday morning. My ribcage was wracking with pain due to the coughing and my throat was so sore I was sure I would be coughing up blood eventually. I was terrified the soreness in my chest meant pneumonia and terrified of the thought of being sick for a solid month. Kev started working recently and DH's business is finally picking up, and I barely made it through the last bout with pneumonia (in 2002) and they were both taking care of me. So that is mainly what prompted me to call my doctor, I had to prevent getting pneumonia, if at all possible.

DS1 was on a course of Prednisone last June and my doc asked I had any on hand, I had coincidentally just found the Prednisone, I thought DS1 had finished it all. He told me to take Extra Strength Tylenol for the pain and start on the Prednisone, and use DS1's nebulizer to do breathing treatments using Albuterol every 2-3 hours.

And asked me to come in the next morning. He put me on a 10 day course of Prednisone. He wanted to put me on antibiotics, he insisted I had to have them (when I asked exactly how necessary did he think they were) because he said he heard "crackles" in my lungs and I could be getting bronchitis. I decided the Prednisone was enough of an assault on my immune system and body, and gave myself two days taking natural antibiotics before going with his prescription drugs. I made it through without the allopathic antibiotics and am actually feeling much better today, although I am working from home. I am having trouble sleeping, I believe due to the Prednisone. I am trying to make healthy choices for eating, as I know Prednisone can also cause voracious hunger. When I first started getting sick, I wasn't too worried about it, because I've been sick with a cold since I've been diagnosed with asthma and I've always been able to handle it just fine with extra usage of my rescue inhaler, even as often as every 2 hours, but this time the rescue inhaler wasn't cutting it. The nebulizer treatments weren't affecting my wheeze much either, that is why I panicked and called my doctor. Anyway, I wasn't too worried and so I continued to eat dairy products which I know gunk me up but I love dairy too much to let that bother me. Well, when I couldn't control the wheezing even with the nebulizer, I stopped dairy. And sugar.

I've had dairy one time in the past 8 days. DH made a noodle dish using a "little bit" of sour cream and "little bit" of cheddar cheese. It made a noticeable effect on my breathing status, so I became even more determined to stay off it until I'm completely better.

I miss dairy. I miss sour cream, cream, and cheese. I even miss milk, but not so much for drinking but for cooking. I've been eating a lot of chicken soup - DH made some of his famous stock.

Kev is also sick, this is his second go round. He was sick first, then I caught what he had. I am praying that DS1 doesn't get it, because it will probably affect his asthma in the same manner.

A couple of other things of note to mention. I got my tomato and eggplant seeds planted (yesterday in the seed cage in my master bathroom), and am preparing my seed purchase list for February/March plantings. Time flies! The garden is doing great, I just wish I had more energy to get out there and work in it.

Also, I don't know if it's the anti-inflammatory components of Prednisone, but my feet are not hurting me at all! I like to think it is because they have finally healed, after the energy injury last July. I am able to walk on my bare feet to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, without falling over from the pain. I am continuing to wear my "casual" men's shoes that are oh so comfortable. I don't ever want to experience foot pain like that again. I am finally able to sleep at night without having to wear that uncomfortable brace on my foot. It is so lovely to just lay in bed peacefully, my feet nestled together, sleekily, without the brace holding one foot taut.

Until next time.