Rant #2,313: My Head, My Bed, and My Red Nose

Well, after a brief absence, I am back here where I should be, writing every weekday at the Ranting and Raving Blog.

What happened to me last week was something that had been coming for weeks, possibly months and years--my body finally broke down after a lot of pressure from all directions attacked it and would not let it go.

Let me tell you, there have been several things lately that have put me under a lot of pressure, and normally, you kind of just brush it off and go about your business.

But last week, I guess my body could not withstand anything more dumped on it, and by Tuesday evening, I had had enough.

Little did I know that I was getting good and sick.

I found that out the next day when I simply could not get out of the bed to go to work, and that continued not just on Wednesday, but also on Thursday and Friday.

On Wednesday, I went to the doctor, and found out that I had bronchitis--something that I had had before a couple of times during my life, the last time probably a few years back.

I remembered that the other times, I missed maybe a day from work, took all the pills I was given, and I was fine.

But this time was different.

I had a fever--101 degrees--and I had mentioned earlier to that day to my wife that I just felt so completely run down that all I wanted to do was ... well, nothing.

I guess I should have been careful for what I wished for, because I got what I wanted, but not the way I wanted it.

Anyway, from the doctor, I went to get x-rays, and I have to say that that kind of made me a bit nervous.

As I said, I have had bronchitis before, but I don't remember ever having to get x-rays in the past for it. The doctor said it was being done as a precaution, so I guess I might have been borderline for some type of milder pneumonia--and no, I never have had that malady.

But the x-rays proved to be just those of someone with bronchitis, so for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I was pretty much a lump as I stayed home. Other than going to the doctor on Wednesday, I slept the entire day away, and on the other days, I tried to take it easy, or at least as easy as I can, which isn't much.

Saturday was my "breakout" day. I went food shopping with my wife, took my son to his bowling league, and later, got a haircut with him and did some shopping related to some things he needed.

It made me feel good to get out of the house, I can tell you that!

On Sunday, I also took a giant step, taking my son and wife to see my father-in-law in the Veterans home that is about 50 miles from where I live. Unbeknownst to us, his section was shut down because of illness, and I probably was not going in there anyway, and I wore a mask while I waited for my wife to make her visit (my son stayed with me).

And on Monday, the oceans truly parted, and I went back to work.

It was good going back to work, and pretty much now, even though I still have a couple of pills to go, I am about 85 percent back to normal. I still have a cough, I still feel that I have something in me, my insides are still a bit roughed up, but compared with last week, well, it is like night and day.

My sleeping pattern has been all messed up, and every night, I sleep some in the bedroom and some on a chair in the living room.

I am hoping that by the weekend, I will be at or near 100 percent, because while I do not get sick very often, when I get sick, I really do get sick.

So I am back here at the blog, too. I know that several people missed me, some people gave me good wishes and others were just plain nasty to me. But the latter group showed their true colors with their messages to me, which I have since deleted because they are as worthless as those who sent them.

Those types of messages will never see the light of day on this blog, I can tell you that.

To sum up, yes, I was pretty sick the past few days, and now, I am back on the road to recuperation.

And I am very, very happy to be back right here!

Speak to you again tomorrow.