For the first time in years I felt unwell enough to be called ΓÇ£sickΓÇ¥. In this state I can only function as a mattress warmer and stay in bed for most of the day. I ignored the lingering guilt by binge watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
I woke up one Thursday morning feeling so under the weather it felt like the clouds were piling dirt on my grave. The last thing I did on Wednesday was watch a friendΓÇÖs trial run of their performance. IΓÇÖm not saying that their performance made me sick but it was the last thing I did before waking up that morning.
In all seriousness, I think my bodyΓÇÖs constitution had been compromised long before the opening greeting. The irony is that IΓÇÖd taken that week off from the gym because I was feeling a tad tired and wanted time to recover. I under-estimated just how worn my body was and it only became clear when I remembered IΓÇÖd been firing on all cylinders for a good part of 16 weeks. I noticed the fatigue, just not all of it.
We all have that one doctor we go to when weΓÇÖre sick so I made a beeline for their door in the evening only to be met with a dark room behind a locked gate. It turns out they no longer open in the evenings, a likely side-effect of COVID-stricken inflation. No matter, we all have that one doctor we go to when our primary physician isnΓÇÖt available so I made a beeline for their door (after calling them to confirm they were open). The visit to my secondary doctor went by without issue ΓÇö saw the doctor, paid for my meds and went straight home to spend the next 3 days under my blanket.
A symptom common for me when IΓÇÖm sick is the inevitable coughing, sometimes violently enough to keep me awake at night. I always make it a point to ask the doctor for something to control the post-nasal drip that triggers my coughs and that Thursday evening was no exception. However I noticed that my night coughs were not affected by the meds so come Monday morning I paid a visit to my regular doctor. Heck, part of the reason theyΓÇÖre my regular doctor is that whatever they give me to stop the night cough freaking works. Even though I was already feeling much better (the coughs notwithstanding) I talked to the doctor and showed them the medicines IΓÇÖd got that Thursday evening. It turns out not one of them was meant to control post-nasal drip or night coughs -_-. Anyway, the doctor gave me something to help me sleep at night and sent me on my way.
And it was supposed to help me sleep but again they didnΓÇÖt seem to work. I could have gone to another doctor (we all have a backup doctor for just such an occasion, right?) but I decided to return to my usual one because there had obviously been a mix up. It turns out though that nope, there hadnΓÇÖt and the medicine they gave me was reputed to be rather strong. It wasnΓÇÖt my usual one because that was out-of-stock thanks to COVID-stricken supply issues. The doctor prescribed a different medicine and this one seemed to work.
It was during the first visit to my regular doctor that I learned I hadnΓÇÖt been to see them in about 2 years. That means there was a 2-year time span during which I didnΓÇÖt feel unwell enough to see a doctor. ThatΓÇÖs a massive achievement for me because I distinctly remember a time not too long ago when IΓÇÖd need to see the doctor roughly every six months with my usual ailments: some sinus/upper respiratory infection leading to phlegm, post-nasal drip and coughs with the lungs completely clear. If I were to credit anything with this improved state of physical being it would be starting up resistance training 2ΓÇô3 times a week (normally at the gym but I substituted with home workouts during COVID-stricken closures). I also believe learning to better notice my current state and improved management of stress-levels have greatly contributed.
Exercise makes you healthier and stronger. About time we took it seriously.