A Doctor's Appointment / Healing Begins

 

Song:  Into The West (cover)

YouTube Channel:  Calikokat

Yes...

I know...

FINALLY!

I made an appointment with a doctor...

and I was seen yesterday

(most probably as a fool for waiting so long :)

I was genuinely surprised by my new doctor...

as not only had he deeply probed my background history...

physically checked me very well...

and then automatically ordered multiple tests to rule out multiple possibilities...

but he took all the time necessary to gather all the information he would need...

and then acted. 

He scheduled me for an x-ray to rule out pneumonia (he heard some crackling in my lungs)...

as well as for TB (he had asked me about my work history and realized I could have

been exposed to it years earlier...

as I had worked around many people from other lands where TB is prevalent).

He had also prescribed me an antibiotic which treats pneumonia...

as well as the bacteria which causes bronchitis.

In this manner...

regardless if I had walking pneumonia or merely bronchitis...

it would be treated.

In this manner...

the most likely causes were treated until he could see the x-ray and the blood tests results.

I drove into one of many clinics for my insurance plan in Colorado Springs.

After seeing my doctor...

he had me go to the pharmacy and pick up my antibiotics...

go to the lab for blood tests...

and then go to another facility to get my chest x-ray.

I am so pleased with the level of care I had received from my doctor.

He is, without a doubt...

the best doctor I have ever had.

The other facility in Colorado Springs that I had gone to for my x-ray.

After having completed all of my tests...

I had a mad craving for a toasted sub sandwich.

So...

on the way home...

I stopped at a nice sandwich place.

This was the first place I had ever been where they had Kool-Aid.

I haven't had any since I was a child.

I picked out my favorite Kool-Aid flavor...

Grape.

I sat near a TV monitor so I could watch a movie as I waited for my sandwich.

Now...

once you order...

they have these different cards with the names of celebrities on them...

which are mounted on a long self standing pole which you then place on your table.

No doubt...

the staff picks out the celebrity which most closely resembles the customer in appearance.

I thought it was a fun idea...

that is... until I received mine...

Willie Nelson!  :)

I had ordered a large toasted Italian sandwich.

It was just so good.

I was on my way home here.

I was on the highway passing through Manitou Springs

(Pikes Peak is in the background...

with the Manitou Incline in the foreground).

Once I got home...

I took my first dose of antibiotics...

took some NyQuil...

and then took a long nap.

I had awakened after dusk...

fed Bandi...

made myself some peppermint tea...

and I then went up to the loft to try to publish my next blog article.

However...

there was a technical problem with the blog site...

and so...

once I had awakened this morning...

I fixed the problem...

and while having another mug of my peppermint tea...

I wrote this article.

After completing this article...

I will make another batch of my homemade yogurt...

and then lie back down for a bit.

Although I am not coughing so much now...

I am still weak.

But...

the antibiotics are making me feel so much better.

It is a full seven day course of antibiotics...

so...

it will be a few more days before I can feel much more healed...

but this is a great start.

--------------

The adult in my mind says I will be going in earlier

should I have medical problems in the future...

but I also know he is in a perpetual battle with my inner child.

My inner child so often wins in my life because he is so pure hearted and earnest

that he is almost too irresistible to over come.

Whenever I am at home...

he is standing guard on the second deck as he overlooks his kingdom.

"I am the first knight...

and the King of Camelot.

I shall defeat any and all foes...

for I have my trusty warhorse and my lance...

which I shall thrust into the very heart of the dragon of death"...

he says defiantly with the wind in his face.

When I am driving...

my inner child calls out from the bow...

with the wind in his face and with full sails above...

"Aye mateys...

I am the captain of my sturdy ship...

and we shall always be ready to weather any storm.

We shall sail in the fairest weather or through the stormiest waters

in search of the richest treasures to be had on the seven seas.

Aye..."

But...

as I age...

my adult voice of reason must overcome my inner child regardless.

------

"I am a hardy and indestructible mountain man...

ready to walk the mountain forests through the worst of snowy blizzards...

always ready to wrestle with mountain lions...

ready to take on any wolf or bear or any size packs of coyotes with my trusty spear...

for I am King of the mountain!"

Whoops...

there he goes again.  :)

First Real Snow Of Winter

 

Song:  Time (cover)

Original Composition:  Hans Zimmer

YouTube Channel:  JoslinMusic

While it had snowed earlier in the year...

it was only a light dusting of snow with tiny snowflakes falling from the sky.

The other day...

although it wasn't a heavy snowfall...

it had much larger snowflakes...

and it had built up to an appreciable amount...

marking it as the first real snowfall of Winter.

A couple of days ago...

I had awakened to the beginning of a moderate snowfall.

You can see the larger snowflakes falling

(or more accurately...clumps of snowflakes).

Later that evening...

I took Bandi out to her forest area.

The snow stopped falling before it had gotten dark.

I had awakened to a blue sky this morning.

Bandi was eager to get out into the snow.

As usual...

we will have a day or two of snow...

followed by many days of blue skies.

It creates a beautiful winter wonderland that I find to be so peaceful and serene.

--------------

The rest of today...

I will make a large lunch

(I am forcing myself to eat...

as I have lost most of my appetite)...

and then just stay in bed.

My healing is coming along...

albeit...

very slowly.

All of today...

I will just stay under the covers

until I have a long late evening session in the steam sauna...

a hot shower...

and then binge watch more of Game of Thrones...

until I fall asleep.

A Typical Sick Day (Getting Stir Crazy)

 

Song:  Nothing Else Matters Medley

YouTube Channel:  JoslinMusic

Although my illness isn't so severe...

it is just lingering.

If it doesn't substantially get better within two weeks...

I will go in to see a doctor and insist upon an x-ray to rule out pneumonia.

This deep cough and general malaise simply won't go away.

I have been just lying in bed all day long on most days...

merely heating up a quick meal and then going back to bed.

However...

every few days...

I just get stir crazy and I just drive into town to eat out...

to not only break up the monotony...

but to feed a craving for some other type of food.

As the temperature has been steadily dropping...

and it has been lightly snowing here...

the cold air exacerbates my deep cough whenever I take Bandi out to her forest bathroom.

It is so frustrating to have lingering symptoms...

it is maddening.

My symptoms are not so bad as to need immediate medical attention...

but they are enough of a bother as to keep me in bed so as to not worsen.

OMG...

I am going stir crazy.

I received my DVD collection of the complete series of the Game of Thrones.

Earlier in the day...

I baked some potato wedges...

...and I heated up a frozen dinner of chicken parmesan. 

I haven't been feeling energetic enough to cook anything more healthful lately...

so I have just been eating frozen dinners...

as they are easy to prepare.

But...

every so often...

just to get out of the house...

I will sometimes drive into town to eat out.

Yesterday morning...

after eating my frozen dinner...

I just lay in bed and watched Frazier reruns on my ipad.

Later that evening...

I just wanted to eat a pizza...

 so I drove into Woodland Park to my favorite pizza place...

AJ's.

I get to view Pikes Peak from the restaurant as I eat.

I had arrived shortly after the sun had set.

Their pizza is so good.

I usually eat but once a day...

but I have been losing too much weight recently...

so I decided to eat once again...

a more caloric dense food.

As I don't eat many fatty foods at home...

when I eat out...

I will eat things I don't usually eat at home...

and so...

I felt like eating a pizza

(I ran out of frozen pizzas :)

After eating...

I decided to take some photos of the Christmas Lights around town on my way home.

I didn't take my normal camera with me...

so I just used my iPhone camera...

which doesn't take low light photos well...

and so...

the following night shots will be out of focus

 as the electronic shutter stays open for 3 seconds...

and any movement blurs the shot.

I stopped at a small park which is filled with multi colored lights on its trees.

There was a herd of deer in the park.

I briefly stopped on the side of the road on the way home to take a couple of shots

of the lights at the Wolf Reserve.

Once arriving at home...

I again lay in bed and watched more Frazier reruns.

After some hours...

I decided to make hot buttered popcorn...

...and binge watch the Game of Thrones on my DVD player.

Bandi patiently waited for me to give her some of the popcorn.

I would eat a handful at a time...

and then give Bandi some...

over and over until it was gone.

She loves it.

After finishing off the popcorn...

I made myself one of my favorite desserts...

frozen blueberries covered in sweetened condensed milk.

I then brushed my teeth...

flossed...

and then settled in bed once again...

as I continued watching my DVDs...

until I fell asleep.

OMG...

I hate being ill.

Lying in bed all day and night is becoming such a bother.

Although I do have many entertainment options...

I am so tired of being tired  :)

I know I must sound spoiled...

but I have so many things I wish to do

that I simply don't have the energy for right now.

I don't even feel like reading.

I just watch movies or reruns on my iPad or DVD player as I attempt to get more sleep.

While I know sleep is the best medicine...

and I have been slowly getting better...

I hate passively lying in bed all day long.

But...

all I can do is to eat more...

sleep more...

and simply bear it.

------------

Oh...

poor baby!

Yes...

I know.

As a man...

I love being active...

and I do become somewhat of a baby when I get ill.

It is the frustration of having to lie in bed

in an attempt to get over this illness that is simply driving me nuts!

Luckily...

illness is something which rarely visits me.

I will often go years without ever getting the flu or even a cold.

And...

once again...

I only had this same illness once before in my life...

decades ago.

It had taken two months to get over it before.

In a couple of weeks...

if the symptoms don't get substantially better...

I will go in to see a doctor.

It is just that I know there is nothing they can do at this moment.

I will just go into the steam sauna later today...

and try to breathe in hot steam and raise my body temperature enough

to stimulate my immune system into defeating whatever is infecting me.

Whatever it is...

it has not been bad enough to even raise a fever in me...

and my body aches have disappeared.

Anyway...

I hope to soon resume my projects...

and I also soon wish to drive to some of the ski towns to see their Christmas Light displays.

 I will take my camera to ensure I can get better night shots.

There are more beautiful sights to see...

and more delicious food to eat...

so...

my current project is getting well so I may go out to experience them.

In the meantime...

at least I have a whole series of Games of Thrones to watch

 in bed to help keep me from going completely stir crazy.

----------

Perhaps I need to be even more stubborn than is this illness.

I think I will use the steam sauna everyday...

for as high in temperature...

 and for as long as I can bear it...

for each session...

until my illness is completely gone.

I will just think of my steam sauna sessions as a fire breathing dragon burning away my illness.

Yeah...

that was my inner child speaking  :)