Sick

I have always prided myself for taking things seriously. If I am working on a project, I try to include all the extras. If I have to make a presentation, I spend a lot of time working on good graphics design and readability. If I get sick, I get really sick. I think that at one point in my life, I was capable of having an ordinary sinus infection that responded well to antibiotics. The last few years, however, have not gone so well for me.

Now I am entering day eight of a sinus infection/upper-respiratory infection that has left my nose incredibly chapped and my body exhausted. I can hardly climb the hill onto campus because of how it affects my breathing. I am forced to use the inhaler I typically use only before exercising every six hours to keep from wheezing and to cut down on the coughing. Recently, my cough has been productive, which is probably a good sign. But now I am taking an antibiotic and prednisone on top of my ordinary meds, and my mom doesn't think I have powerful enough drugs. Meanwhile, I bombed a test and didn't get much work accomplished at all last week because I just haven't felt well enough to concentrate. The cough is driving me and everyone around me nuts.

I feel a little better today after having my first high dose of prednisone, so hopefully I'll get over this thing soon. I am highly disappointed that the medicine community has not advanced to the point that I can get over these sinus infections quickly. My brother and I have both had sinus infections that lasted more than six weeks, and I am just crossing my fingers that this won't turn into one of them. Maybe if the drug makers stopped worrying about erectile dysfunction, they could help cure my allergies. As far as I can tell, the only developments in the world of allergy medicine in the last 15 years have been a few new drugs that are still only good for a few months before the body adapts and rotation is needed.

It's enough to make me wish I'd gone to medical school.