Maybe this photo was the wrong choice...

     I woke up icky yesterday. The new apartment complex mowed on Wednesday. For hours right in front of our open windows. So when I woke up congested and feeling generally icky, my first thought was allergies. I've never had them before, but maybe the 30+ year old established grass outside my window woke up some long-buried allergies. After a dose of allergy meds and 2 different doses of cold and sinus meds, i thought maybe it wasn't allergies. I thought it was a stupid cold. But I didn't get better, no matter how many pills I swallowed. This morning I woke up in worse condition. Sore throat and ears, more congested, and achy all over. I went to work. Why? Because I had no choice. I called my doctor's office trying to make an appointment. My doctor was working in Urgent Care today, no appointments needed.

     Now, I know what you're thinking, "Why would she go to the doctor for a stupid cold?" And normally I wouldn't. But you see, it's Mother's Day weekend. And I want to see my Mom. I need to see my Mom. So, if I needed to pay a $15 co-pay to be told it was ok to visit, then so be it. 

     So, (Ever noticed how much I use the word "so?" Is it getting annoying yet?) I went to work miserable and feeling like crap. I did the billing, placed a few orders, tried to make people happy, all the while trying not to breathe on anyone. I left at noon. Grabbed some lunch since my blood sugar was starting to hit the floor. And I made it Urgent Care at Mercy North in Ankeny by 1:10pm. Not bad.

     I stood on the scale. (We won't go there.) I had all the usual check up stuff. Temp was a (very) little high, blood pressure was high-ish, and my pulse was pretty high. 106 beats per minute. But I could have told them that; I had felt my heart racing all day. 

     Dr. Nowak (whom I love, cynical enough to get me, attractive enough in his 50s to make me stare a bit) went over all of my medicine issues and made adjustments. Then we got down to the "cold." It wasn't a cold. I have a respiratory infection with an almost sinus infection. Combined with some serious exhaustion. I was told that I could probably work through this on my own, but since I was seeing Mom tomorrow, Dr. Nowak put me on a pretty good antibiotic, and told to rest. I shouldn't kiss my Mom, but I can hug her. And if it makes me more comfortable, Dr. Nowak told me to wear a mask when I hug her, but to make sure it's a big hug. Have I said that I love my doctor?

     So... here's what I look like today. And what I hope to not look like tomorrow. We'll have to see what happens in the morning I guess.