A Nasty Cold

I'm struggling with a nasty cold today. Yesterday too. For most people, it would be a run-of-the-mill kind of cold; headache, cough, runny nose. For me, with my compromised immune system and weakened respiratory system, any cold is a nasty cold, any congestion is serious and dangerous. This cold was bad right up until a couple of hours ago, but seems to be breaking now. I'm really quite surprised at how quickly the corner turned. At 8:00 AM, I was thinking about going to the hospital. Now, three hours later, I'm planning my Open House for tomorrow.

I've always been a quick recovery; being sick usually meant a day or so down, then up and running again. This time the timing was pretty much the same, but the process was a whole lot scarier. Last night my chest felt like it had a cement block on it. I could breathe, but I had a truly unproductive cough and poor respiration. This morning I felt much the same, yet now that sense of pressure is gone. My cough is still pretty weak, but I'm doing better.

One of the tools which has helped me is my Lung Volume Recruitment bag. Essentially the LVR is an air bag with a breathing tube. I breath in, then pump the air bag to push more air into my lungs. This has the effect of giving me a lung full of air to expel in a cough. It works. I cough better. I push out phlegm better. There's less chance of pneumonia.

There is another thing which has made my life better over the last couple of days; Katherine. She came over yesterday when I was feeling bad, stayed with me all night to make sure I was okay, and is still here now, doing laundry and generally taking care of me. While we are no longer a couple, she is clearly dedicated to me, and I to her. I'm not sure what I would have done without her here. Most likely I would have ended up in hospital. It's impossible for me to properly express the level of gratitude I have for all she does for me.