I felt more sluggish than usual rolling out of bed Monday. I chaulked it up to wife and I working in the yard and garden spring cleaning most of the day Sunday. I stumbled into the kitchen to put water on for coffee and by then I knew something was skulking around in my veins, making me feel sick as a dog. I felt as if I had the hangover from hell.
Allergies, I thought. The days are getting warmer and I was practically wallering around in the lawn and garden yesterday. After struggling to eat a bowl of shredded wheat and finishing my coffee I started feeling nauseous. I hit the couch and slept off and on for four hours.
Wife woke me and commanded me to make a doctor's appointment. Walter doesn't come into the office on Mondays so I hauled my sorry ass to an urgent care place. I've been to this place a few times but they always have me fill out the Emancipation Proclamation of confidentiality agreement. I could care less if the whole world knew I was sick today.
They show me to the same room I've been in before to sit and wait for the doctor. He finally makes his appearance and introduces himself as Dr. Smith. I mentally bet his first name is John. He asked a bunch of questions and nurse comes in and wants a sample of snot from both nostrils. She leaves with the snot rockets and it seems like forever before Smith comes back.
You have the flu.
The Flu? I haven't had the flu since I was the little kid. I take flu shots almost every year. It must be the Roederer Correctional Complex Hong Cong Crud. He gives me Tamilflu and phenergan for the nausea. He also gives me hydrocodone for the head and body aches. That's kinda overdoing it.
I fill the prescriptions and sleep the rest of the day. I call in to work and tell them I won't be in the next couple of days and I choke down a slice of toast for dinner and sleep in the guest bedroom. Wife gives me a wave good-night. My right shoulder bursitis decides to act up and I can't sleep. I'm glad I filled the hydrocodone script and take one. I know from experience Ibruprofen won't touch this pain.
I've been having alot of dreams lately. My brother and I are back at U of K and the whole campus is partying for spring break. It was like Daytona beach converged on the campus and Brad and I were going from bar to bar, drunk as hell. That's all I remember.
I don't how Tamilflu works but it does the trick and today I feel almost back to my ornery self. I've forgotten how bad influenza can make you feel. I tell ya...I was sick as a dog.
Back in the 80's I lived off Frankfort Avenue in an apartment complex called Belleau Wood. There was a famous WWI battle which took place at Belleau Wood along the Marne River in France in 1918. The apartments looked nothing like a battle field, but it was heavily wooded. Go figure.
