I Need The Rest

I slept through the night without awakening for a fever or sweats or chills. I awoke this morning at 9:00 AM feeling like I could get up and go. In fact I did get up and go, after which I decided to climb right back into bed. While I may be getting better, I am by no means returned to full health, or at least what full health looks like for someone with ALS.

The antibiotics, working with my normal bodily recovery systems, are doing what they need to do. The infection is weakening. As it does, my body has more energy for life; I am strengthening. Today, for example, I did the transfers, both into and out of bed, without the use of the transfer board. It wasn't a perfect transfer, by any stretch of the imagination. It was, however, a poke in the eye of the infection, a rebellious act in the face of illness.

I need a few more days like this before I declare myself healed, a few more days for the antibiotics, the Tylenol, and the white blood cells to beat back this monster which has invaded by sovereign space. My best guess is that I will be completely out of the woods, health wise, sometime around Tuesday or Wednesday. In the meantime, I plan on continuing to get plenty of rest, making the choice to take it easy, stay in bed when I can, sleep as much as I can.

It's funny how often over the years I have heard those words from the Bayer commercial, "Get plenty of rest. Drink plenty of fluids. And take Aspirin." I always thought, "Who has time for that?" When I was young and healthy, I just kept going. When I finally did stop, thanks to illness, I really had no choice in the matter.

This time I am in that space, where I can choose to respond as I once did, with get up and go, using my own energy to power out of this last few days of illness,  Or I can choose to do what the doctors say, that which Bayer skillfully turned into a sales slogan. I plan on getting plenty of rest, and drinking plenty of water, or orange juice. Alas there will be no wine, beer, scotch or whatever. It's okay. My body needs a break.