what's cooking?

It was all planned.  Our yearly "kidnap" with Dylan and Aidan for their birthday.  Breakfast, AZ Science Museum and a fun sports themed restaurant for dinner.  Groupons purchased, times set.

And then "it" happened.  Ugh.  Sunday at three a.m. I woke up with a throat on fire.  Red, white "dots" and a headache.  That was the day of their actual birthday party.  I was still unwilling to admit I was sick.

I said it was the cold, dry air.  I said it was my allergies.  By the time Sarah dropped me off at home later that afternoon I was still fighting the idea that my auto-immune disease had gotten me, again.

Nothing says sick quite the way RA does.  One minute you're feeling healthy (for a person with an immune disorder) and the next-death is upon you.

Still, I made dinner for Steve and I, fed the animals and even put up the dishes and a load of laundry.

At 8:30 I asked Steve for hot tea and honey.  He said, "Tea?  With honey? Just how sick are you?"

I only drink hot tea when I'm about to go belly up for the coming week.  After the tea, I went to bed.  Thanking both Steve and God for the adjustable bed so I could breathe should I fall asleep.

In the morning I said "I'm staying in my pjs, I've cancelled both my interview and Lucky's vet appointment.  I'm going to flood my system and rest and pray that this just disappears and we don't have to cancel our day out with the boys."

No such luck.  By the time Steve called to say he was leaving work for home I told him it was eggs and toast for dinner or he could bring it home.  He brought home dinner, throat lozenges, nose spray and I think he handed over to me via a 10' pole.

It was raining Monday or I would have gone to the doctor's.  I was also running a fever.  I thought I was actually dead for a bit because Steve had gone and purchased us one of those fancy, schmancy thermometers that you scan your forehead to get a reading.  It told me I was running 77.1.

Turns out that it works much more accurately if you take the lid off of it first. 

Did I mention I'm really sick????

Tuesday morning Steve had a dental appointment in the same complex as my GP.  I carpooled with him.  Sat in the lobby for an hour and the room for another hour.  Steve got his chipped tooth fixed faster than I saw the doctor.

Given the puss pockets, red streaks and sandpaper feeling in my throat, I was guessing strep.  Turns out it was a severe sinus infection with some upper bronchial  problems.  My throat was a by-product of the sinus pain. 

Doctor sent me home with a 10 day prescription of some high-powered antibiotic, said to force fluids, use a humidifier, rest and postpone the kidnapping for a couple of weeks.

Two days later I was still in "dying" mode.  Face was coming off the front of my cranium, my lungs felt as if I had been kicked by one of the wild burros running around at the part and now-my face was totally chapped and red from the nose blowing. 

I figured I was no longer contagious, so I finally put on some clothes and went to pick up my new glasses.  They're a lot lighter than the old ones and I can see better.  However, final adjusting will come once my face isn't quite so "beautiful".

The only improvement I'm feeling is that my throat is no longer on fire.  I've replaced that feeling with the lovely bronchial cough I'm prone too whenever I get ANYTHING.

Did I mention-I HATE SICK!