Thursday, September 8, 2011

What a difference a day makes

From Al's Flickr site
Al took this picture last Tuesday of Mike and me amongst the flowers and brilliant blue skies of Yellow Aster Butte. I like it because it typifies to me the day we had and the reason I love to go hiking with the Senior Trailblazers. But alas, I didn't go with them today after all.

For the last month or so, I've had a persistent cough that hasn't gotten better but seems to have gotten worse as the weeks have gone by. Finally, when talking with my sister on iChat yesterday, I had to stop and cough, hack and wheeze for quite awhile. She looked at me and asked why I hadn't gone to a doctor about it, and I hemmed and hawed and said I was sure it would get better by itself. But it hasn't, and she reminded me how long I've had it. I got on the phone and made an appointment to see the doctor, but the earliest possible appointment was next Monday, and that was to see a nurse practitioner, not the doctor. Good enough.

Then it occurred to me that Monday is the hike up Mount Higgins, a new adventure for all of us, so I got on the phone, called the clinic back and said I would take ANY opening they had. (I had turned down one for today, thinking I wouldn't be available.) So guess where I went today? To see the doctor, and it is what I thought: I have bronchitis. The doctor told me that it MIGHT eventually resolve by itself, but to try this inhaler (I've never used one) and take an antibiotic. The inhaler delivers albuterol (known internationally as salbutamol), which I discovered has been misused as a performance enhancing drug. I have to say, I LOVE the Magic Box (the Internet) to learn what I am actually putting into my body. Nowhere on the insert did I learn this information. I know what side effects to watch for, but it is essentially a bronchodilator that allows the bronchial passages to relax and take in more air. Wow! Does this mean I'll be able to hike up hills with less effort? Given the expense of the drug, I don't think I'll be trying it for that. I just want to stop coughing.

Before I take the antibiotic, however, the doctor has given me the go-ahead to try the inhaler and this herbal drug called Lung Defend I got at the health food store. I think the two of them should help me beat this thing before I have to put antibiotics into my system that may or may not help. She told me that most bronchitis is caused by viral agents, not bacteria, which means I could take the antibiotic for no good reason. This mixture of herbs was recommended by the practitioner as having had good responses from several of her clients. Dr. Andert told me I can give it a couple of days but, in her words, if it doesn't begin to turn around by then, start the antibiotics. That sounds good to me!

I haven't felt sick at all, but the cough has become problematic, and I sure didn't want to end up getting REALLY sick just because of my stubbornness. Now I feel quite secure in letting the albuterol and Lung Defend do their work. Till next time!
:-)

17 comments:

  1. Yeah, you don't want it to develop into pneumonia!!! Take care of yourself now to prevent that from happening.

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  2. I feel better knowing you haven't lost all common sense. It's good you're taking precautions. I don't trust lung problems. Sorry you had to miss today's climb but I'm sure you made the right choice.

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  3. I'm glad you're taking care of yourself
    feel better quick

    love the shot of you and Mike in the flowers

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  4. Good move DJan. It never hurts to get ahead of things. Catching up today so I want to send you a special thanks for your previous movie and book reviews. I hope the movie shows up here in the hinterlands...

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  5. I'm glad to hear you saw the doctor before the bronchitis got worse. With all the hiking you do DJan you definitely need healthy lungs.

    I hope the Lung Defend kicks in and you don't have to use the antibotics. Take care of yourself.

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  6. I love it that you had a medical professional tell you to try the herbal drug before the antibiotics. She sounds like a peach! I agree with everyone, you need to take care of yourself. I'm glad your sister got on you about it and you went in. Let us know if you are better over the weekend now. Prayers and hugs!! :):)

    PS Love the pic in the flowers! ;)

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  7. i just hope they dont call you up for random drug testing before the hike...steroids...ha...smiles. glad you got the ok on the herbal that is very cool...and hope it clears up!

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  8. Sorry to hear that bronchitis caught up to you. We can live very carefully and sometimes these conditions get the better of us. Here's hoping that you make a speedy recovery.

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  9. Wonderful photo of you amidst the wildflowers. Now the important thing is to take care of yourself. I hope that awful cough subsides quickly.

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  10. Get better! It is probably best not to hike with bronchitis. Let us know how the herbal drug works. I'm all for using those before pumping antibiotics through the body for what was probably a viral condition.

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  11. Smart of you to listen to your sister. And you already did this hike, so you win all around.
    Get well soon.

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  12. Hope the inhaler and herbal drug work for you, DJan and Monday finds you hiking Mount Higgins!

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  13. Sorry that you're under the weather. I know you won't let it keep you from all of your activities, at least the less strenuous ones. I hope those remedies help and I would be interested to hear how it goes.

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  14. Bronchitis can so easily become something else. Glad you did the research. As always, the pics are great.

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  15. Take care with your lungs D-Jan. All that alpine air will help too, I think. You probably got the virus on the bus going to the gym for your workout! Get well soon.

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  16. Take the anitibiotics if you are not better in a few days..and I hope you don't get really sick before then..bronchitis can turn to pneumonia just like that..I know cause that is what happened to me a few years ago and I ended up in the hospital on IV meds...if you have had it that long you better get rid of it soon:)

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  17. Good for you, DJan, for listening to your sister, and that still small voice inside that probably already knew that you were pushing it!

    It would seem to me that hiking at the altitudes you aspire to would be difficult enough, without hacking your way up there!

    Rest and use the medication provided. I'm with you on taking the antibiotics only as a last resort!

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