The cough. It's still here.

I made another appointment with my doctor today. I saw him about a month ago because my ear was paining something horrible (the Q-Tip incident) and I had a cough that wouldn't go away.  It's a month later and while the cough is better, it is still lingering.

Dr. W came in, asked what he could do for me and my response was that, "My cough won't go away and I'm starting to have a reputation. My husband tells me in the store that he'd 'know that cough anywhere,' my coworker wants me to have a second opinion and one of my best friends has said, 'oh you and your cough.'  They all have me a bit freaked out."

I told him that what had been most concerning was the fact that I wouldn't say that I've been short of breath, but just that occasionally I would run out of air while talking.  He asked me if I cough while laying down.  No.  He asked me when it is that I do cough.  Basically, when I'm in and out of outside.

We talked about my habit of reading and that no, it wasn't lung cancer or Lipitor.  I told him that though I read a lot, I don't self diagnose because that is what he is there for.  He did do a check all the way around twice.  He offered a chest x-ray and a steroid shot, but he wasn't encouraging it.  I told him that, "I can tell by the smirk on your face that I'm okay."  "If it was me, I'd say that the cough is a bummer, but I'd rock it out."

I was getting concerned.  My lungs are "clear as a bell" so I'm good.  What is it?  Reactive airways and it is getting better, but it will take time.  It doesn't hurt, it's just more annoying than anything.  When I told him that if I get a cough, it hangs on for a beloved forever.  "Some people are like that."  Lovely.  I'm a long cough holder person.  I've been in church services where people have passed candies and bottles of water to me.  I've conducted PTA meetings where members starting sending cough drops up to the front.  When I get a cough people, I truly get a cough.

For Fat Tuesday, I bought Bavarian cream Packzi and knew we didn't need all four.  The boys across the street observe Lent, so I figured that they might enjoy them.  G, a nurse, has been battling respiratory issues since Thanksgiving.  He was finally diagnosed with Bronchitis, Upper and Lower Respiratory infections all at once.  (YIKES!)  He said that he experienced the same breathing issues that I did and it freaked him out, too.  It turns out that G was offered the chest x-ray and the steroid shot and he declined, too.  He said that a girl where he works got the shot and it did nothing for her.  Frankly, my doctor was happy with how I was and I seriously didn't want to add another x-ray to my person unless I really needed it.  If he thought I really needed it, he would have sent me for it and not just have offered it.

So there we have it.  I can leave this bout of hypochondria and continue leading a life.  My life has laundry to fold that I've deposited on my side of the bed.  No rest for the coughing, eh?

Breathe deeply and have a great day!