The fine art of Piling On

Well, it's been a less than stellar week at MN, as I've been fighting off the flu since last Monday. Actually, there wasn't much fighting involved: it conquered me in the night and I didn't know what hit me until yesterday. MN has not experienced such illness since perhaps the sixth grade, or certainly in a time when it was ok and not desperately pathetic to wish for one's mommy.

Perhaps the most fun aspect was that my migraines didn't go away during this time of fevers, chills, total head blockage and earaches -- oh no, they came anyway! And if you think it's fun to try to release an Imitrex from the 9-pack when you're pre-migraine, just try it when you're also on multiple cold medicines and are somehow trying to read the backs of all the drug packagings to make sure that you won't die if you take this particular drug cocktail. Seems that it was ok, or at least the irreversible kidney or liver or whatever else damage will at least wait to manifest itself until I can again breathe through my nose. This is my simple hope.

More than dying from unfortunate drug cocktail mixing, my real fear was of choking to death on a Hall's mentho-lyptus during the night. But sleeping - well, resting, really, there was little sleep until Saturday -- was impossible because of the coughing, hence the dangerous Hall's cough drop. I figured if I slept sitting up mostly I would at least awaken before I had totally choked to death enough to remember 8th grade CPR classes and how to Heimlich myself on a kitchen chair. Or at least write a brief, witty, totally memorable death note that would make me famous in death and help pay off my debt so my next of kin would not be left with it. Unfortunately, all the sleeping sitting up did was give me an ACTUAL pain in the neck, so now I am timing taking pain relievers for that in between the cold medicine.

So what have I learned this week? Let's see:

1. The flu sucks it. Hard.
2. Migraines have no pity.
3. My head is a wonderland. A wonderland of CRAP.
4. Hall's makes a Canada Dry Ginger ale flavor drop. When I can taste things again, I'll tell you how they are.
5. I may or may not have damaged vital organs. Stay tuned.
6. It is possible to watch all the programs on one's TiVo "Now Playing" list.


Next on MN: Going Outside And Trying To Enjoy The Last Week Of Summer. oooh!