Thursday, March 23, 2017

A trip to Urgent Care

It's been a month since I had been diagnosed with influenza. And the side effects keep lingering such as being tired, being cold and breathing isn't as easy.

Well, I had an interesting thing happen recently.

As I had mentioned last time, I have a history of bronchitis. Well, Last week just before closing, I called our local clinic to make an appointment to see a doctor. I got the appointment desk and she asked why I had called.

I told her that I just had influenza and now I am having pain in my left side in my what I thought to be my lower lung and pain under my left shoulder blade. The pain had increased throughout the day and was worried about bronchitis or pneumonia.

She said that she would send me to the nurse help line on the phone. (You know, dial an 800 number and a nurse helps you out in case it is something minor.) I told the help line nurse the reason for the call and she had me breath in deep and breathe out. Does it hurt more? Yes. I am driving home by this time and have the ear bud in so I can have both hands on the wheel. She  asked a number of questions because she needed too to make sure.

After a number of questions, she said I should go to Urgent Care. She also said that maybe applying a hot water bottle there for a bit would help. I had asked, can't I just wait until tomorrow and make an appointment. She said no.

Now, I have never had pneumonia so I am thinking that maybe this is in worse shape than I had thought. So almost home, I make a "B" line to Urgent care.

I had to wait about 5 minutes for the person in front of me to get settled in with the nurse at the registration desk. I walked up to the window and explained why I was there. I could see in her face she was starting to get anxious. Her eyes where getting bigger and her body language was going into emergency mode. She was trying very hard to speak calmly. She said that she was going to put me in a room and have me checked out immediately.

Well, in comes the EKG machine. (Nope, Hadn't ever been hooked up to one before.) They thought I was having a heart attack. That was the first thing they did. and was only hooked up to it for maybe two minutes total. The results were negative. And that nurse at the desk was trying to get the EKG tech to hurry up.

Then comes in another nurse to take my blood presser, heart rate and oxygen level. Everything looks good. Heart rate was under 60 beats per minute.

Then the Doctor comes in. I told the doctor all I needed was someone to listen to my lungs to make sure I didn't have bronchitis or pneumonia. She said, "Well, I am going to do that now." So she listened to my breathing then sent me to get an x-ray. Turns out that I did have bronchitis.

So now instead of having a bill for an office visit, I have extra ER/EKG/Xray fees. grrr. I guess it is better to be safe and check for a heart attack rather than not.

Now what is the point of this story? I am getting there.

The Doctor gave me a perscription for anti-biotics and an inhaler. Things seem to clear up.

I told this story to my chiropractor. And here is the helpful hint you have been waiting for.

He said that if you are having a trouble breathing from a cold or bronchitis, lie down face down and have someone pat your back rapidly and that is to help loosen and work that nasty mucus out of the lungs.

And also, if you have congestion problems, eat some onion and garlic soup. They have properties that help boost your immunity. You put onion, garlic, carrots, celery, lettuce or any other greens into water and boil it. DO NOT have sugar or milk while sick. It sets the body's immune system back.

He told of a story were one of his clients whom had a cold for 9 weeks and tried the soup and the cold cleared up within two days. Another gentleman who was into a healthy life style and had a cold for two weeks ate the soup and he was also cleared up within two days.

Thank you for reading. I hope that you all stay healthy the rest of this cold season. Have a wonderful and blessed day.


Friday, March 3, 2017

Gun's E-Z Own: Influenza? WTH

Well the last couple of weeks have been interesting at Gun's E-Z Own and for me health wise.

For the first time in 50 plus years I was diagnosed with influenza. Here is a little background of my health.

You know from a previous blog that I was in the US Army-Regular service. I had not been sick since April 1986. Ten plus years of no cold, no temperature, no flu, no stomach flu. Nothing.

UNTIL, I was delivering propane, I believe this was December 1996. I finished up the propane delivery and knocked on the customers door. Now this was the year of the worse flu break out ever. The media was warning of a possible epidemic. (Sound familiar?) I remember because I had shrugged off the warnings because I hadn't been sick for , yes TEN YEARS.

Anyway I knocked on the customers door to give him the bill. As soon as he opened the door, he coughed right in my face. I felt the breeze of his cough past my cheeks. This was days before Christmas. Yes, I got sick with my temperature spiking to 103.1. I was miserable, achy, tired and cold.

Let me time travel even further back in time. I wrestled heavyweight and qualified for the 1982 Minnesota State Wrestling Tournament. The Monday before the tourney, I got sick, spitting out clumps of mucus. Not just the little bit when you have a little cough, I mean clumps. I was able to wrestle one match and lasted to the 3rd period before I was so gassed I couldn't do anything. I got pinned and called it a tournament. It  hadn't cleared up for three weeks so I went to the doctor. It turned out I had a case of bronchitis.

Now post-Army. it was cool not being sick. Missing no work, not feeling achy and giggling at others who got sick. (What a bunch of wimps.) Well, ever since the propane gas cough, I started getting sick once a year. And it was typically a severe cold or bronchitis. (grrrrr)

Now In the past 6 months I have been sick, twice. The first time a the regular flu we all know and love. Temp of 102 sleep for a day and then back on your feet.

Not this second time around. My temperature peaked at 105.1. But the funny thing was I didn't feel achy. Just hot and tired. Two days later I went to the doctor because the temperature persisted at around 101-102. I was worried about a case of bronchitis again.

When I went to the doctor, the nurse had me wear a  mask. (WTH). She did the regular weight, temperature, medical history and blood pressure,  (By the way, my BP was 98/74. I am so laid back. haha).

The nurse had now decided to stick a swab up my nostril for the test. and happy day (NOT) I had influenza. The kind you can get shots for. The doctor put me on quarantine for four more days. And now I am back to work but still feeling tired, still have a cough and still have a runny nose. I got my vitamins, vapor rub and throat lozenges. I am just hoping to avoid bronchitis or even pneumonia.

When I got back to work, the tabs one our 15,000 lbs gross weight delivery truck were due. Being it the last of of February and had to be purchased by then. I went down to the licenses center and got the tabs. Came back and got ready to put the tabs on the plates, but (WTH, AGAIN), the plates were gone. Some bone head stole the license plates off our truck. with expired tabs.

I filed a report with the police and warned the neighboring businesses to be heads up. We were wondering on what type of vehicle they were going to put 15k GVW plates on. I think it would be funny if they put truck plates on thee car and got pulled over just for being stupid. Yes, they didn't only steal the plates, they stole the brackets too. (Place eye roll and face palm here)

Well, maybe we will see them on World's Dumbest Criminals sometime.

Thank you for reading. Until next time, please be safe and may you stay healthy.