Cough. Wheeze. Hack.

Ah yes. The sounds of sickness ring through the halls of my existence once again. Can you believe it? I've lost count of the amount of times i've gotten sick in the last six months. I have a case of pharyngitis (which i figured is just a fancy name for really bad sore throat). Let me look it up.... Ok here it is:

"Pharyngitis, called sore throat, is the inflammation of the pharynx (throat). The throat extends from the nasal passages above and behind the mouth to the esophagus (tube that carries food to the stomach) in the neck. Pharyngitis occurs most commonly with a viral upper respiratory infection (URI).

Causes and Risk Factors
Viral upper respiratory tract infection that produces postnasal drip, such as the common cold (ooh, i got myself one of those too!), and seasonal allergies are the most common causes of sore throat. Organisms such as Streptococcus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae cause bacterial pharyngitis. Infection is spread by person-to-person contact.

Risk factors include the following:
-Coughing
-Inhaling pollutants (e.g., household cleaners, automobile exhaust)
-Other illnesses (e.g., diphtheria, mononeucleosis)
-Seasonal allergies
-Smoking and second-hand smoke (ah okaaaay...)

People with seasonal allergies to pollen often experience sore throat as a result of postnasal drip.

Signs and Symptoms
Swallowing may be difficult or painful and the throat may feel scratchy. The throat often appears red, swollen, or puffy, and may have white spots of purulent exudate (pus). Fever and cough are also common. Examination may reveal swollen tonsils (near the base of the tongue), which may also be covered with white or gray exudate. The lymph nodes in the neck often become swollen and tender."
from http://pulmonarychannel.com/pharyngitis/

I've been on medical leave for two days now. And it hasn't been a pleasant two days mind you. Sunday night was sleepless, thanks to my runny nose, followed by non-stop coughing. Yesterday was the peak of my coughing fits and today i feel like someone used my ribs as a punching board. I'm on anti-biotics (I asked my family physician -my brother that is- for the strongest one available) and today my coughing has significantly reduced but it still hurts to cough or laugh. And if i eat one more bowl of chicken porridge, I'll be spewing it out of my eyes and ears.

On top of that, I'm bored. I know i'm supposed to be resting but there's just SO much resting i can do in 48 hours. I'm reading two books (alternating so i don't get too bored), watching Season 3 of Friends (thanks mia), Oprah (at 9am and 1pm) and even an episode of The Bold and The Beautiful (that Brooke is such a slut - she has kids with her father in law and married both his sons!).

So what's next on my list? Well, yesterday i did my filing and updated all my financial documents (i sound so grown up don't i?). Today, i'm thinking of rearranging my closet and dressing table - i think it's time to throw out my 3-year-old orange lipstick.

I never thought i'd say this: I can't wait to get back to work.

"Living in the shadow...Of someone else's dream..."
- yep, been watching The Ashlee Simpson Show on MTV. Sigh.