how do i love thee?

So the crud never left the house. I swear I tried to kick it out, tell it to leave, whatever. It just lingered. Mostly in my chest. Other than my congestion, we had three whopping days of health for everyone else before Little B got Strep. Oh fun.

As of tomorrow, if Miss C has avoided it, we are home free. This is because I’ve been on the two week round of Biaxin, which kept me safe (thank GOODNESS for that!!!). And, when my husband came home with a low fever and misery once more, I assumed he had gotten Strep as well. Nope. His doctor’s visit revealed severe sinusitis (AND a middle ear infection!) for which the old-school, most wonderful doctor he’d ever seen did an x-ray to verify and check it out. He also looked at my husband’s history and prescribed an antibiotic that he felt was most effective for his problem. There is something about a doctor that takes the time to really understand the problem and get down to it, versus prescribing something, figuring it will work or the illness will go away on its own in a few days anyhow. This doctor also told him to return in two weeks as he’d very possibly need further treatment! Yeah, that severe. Poor hubby. At least with his antibiotics he will prevent Strep, too. Woohoo!

But then, my congestion. Man oh man. I thought the snap, crackle, pop in my chest was finally about gone, then suddenly my sinuses opened up (I guess) and I felt like I was getting a cold on top of everything. My lungs filled once more and stayed tight and awful. My throat has had an entire family of frogs in it for two solid weeks now. I’ve avoided the phone because talking makes me miserable (try being heard by your kids like that…sheesh). Yesterday, I called my asthma specialist again and told him what was going in. His conclusion: my asthma is beginning to be a problem!

I was diagnosed with asthma exactly six years ago (to the month). Exactly five years ago I got pneumonia (again, to the month; February is SO a bad month for me!!), and that fall I began seeing this specialist. My asthma has been totally under control since that time and he always talks about how great my breathing tests are. The same day he decided it was my asthma beginning to be an issue, I’d spoken with a woman I’ve met only a few times and was mentioning how sick we’d all been this month (seriously, just speaking to me says volumes when that family of frogs takes over and I cannot even make some sounds to complete my words!). She looked at me and asked, “Do you have asthma?” Wow. No one has ever heard me talk/cough and “heard” the asthma. When I said yes, she asked if I was taking meds right now to control it. So, when the doc said it was asthma, I had to agree. Though in my head I kept thinking “sinus infection” or “cold” or whatever. I mean, come on, I was blowing green snot three times an hour to the point of making my sinuses bleed. (Yeah, TMI, but you’re reading aren’t you???)

So, he put me back on prednisone. He’d put me on it when he saw me for the flu as a preventive for bronchitis or the dreaded pneumonia (I saw him because the cough was so bad I thought I had pneumonia with my fever of 102-103!). Honestly, I’ve had years when my prescription would expire because I never needed it (he requests his patients keep it on hand for emergency use). I’ve used it now three times since Christmas. Huh. I’ve also had my rescue inhaler expire without my realizing it, but now I’ve got two running so I don’t lose one—I’ve used it every 4-6 hours this week.

But my point: the prednisone. I was in total shock by it. I’ve used it and been helped before, but never so drastically. Within one hour—yes, ONE—of my first dose, my voice felt stronger, my cough was looser and more disgustingly productive (like chunky, in a good way, though), my headache of two weeks was gone, and best of all: my snot stopped! Really. Suddenly I hardly have to blow my nose at all. It’s just more like post nasal drip now. I’m in total awe and love with my prednisone. I had no idea it was that incredibly powerful.

My voice is still improving, but only when I’ve, uh, lost my temper (me? Never!) does it start to aggravate me badly. The cough is still there and full of chunks, but again, it’s a good thing. The headache, well it’s hightailed it so far out of town I haven’t seen it since. Same with the nasty snot. Oh, and I’m not nearly as exhausted (probably a steroid side effect for that, but still…). Did I mention I love my prednisone?

He said he’d want to see me in the office if I wasn’t doing better in three days (which puts me at tomorrow afternoon…bad time to need a specialist, you know?). But honestly, I feel like I’m doing so much better that I am thinking I won’t need to call. If I do, then I just do. I may call and talk to the nurse to just let her know how I’m doing and how much better I feel. Then, if they don’t think it’s enough they can tell me.

Oh, I feel so alive. I even went to lunch with my mom, then she went grocery shopping with me. (Such a nice lady.) I could so kiss my prednisone. How do I love thee, indeed.