(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Top Comments: Illness Progression Edition [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-08-29 I debated about what the write tonight. Considering I am still recovering from my cold and my birthday just occurred, I will write about a depressing topic: how my illnesses usually progress. 90% of my colds progress the same exact way. On hand, this sucks because it makes really easy for me to know when I am about to be sidelined for a week or more; on the other hand, it makes it easy for me to start the treatment process early if I am at home. It always starts with a sore throat usually at night. If the next morning my throat hurts enough that swallowing is painful, I know the cold will be full blown in the next 48 hrs. The second morning finds the sore throat abating while I begin getting a really bad headache. Thankfully, I rarely get anything more than a low-grade fever but since my normal temp is around 97.4, a temp of 99-100 is quite high for me. By the third day my lungs begin filling up with fluid much like a bout of pneumonia or bronchitis. Since I almost never test positive for either of those illnesses, there is no antibiotic I can take to help speed up the recovery process. Over the next couple of days, my headaches will abate and my nose will start to run constantly. Once I get a stomachache and back pain, I know I am nearing the end of the cold though it may be a couple more days before the wheezing stops. Since antibiotics don’t work for my illnesses, you may be asking what I do to help my recovery along. The key for me is cough as much as possible to clear out the mucus in my lungs much like a cystic fibrosis patient has. 1, I take albuterol by nebulizer. 2, I have a compression vest which I use 3-4 times a day. What this does is shake and pound my chest to break up the mucus in my lungs so I can cough it out. I will usually use this right before or after using the nebulizer as they work in tandem to help me cough. 3, Using my adjustable bed, I will sleep more perpendicular and I will lower the humidity on my BiPap. This makes it easier for me to breathe while asleep and puts less water back into my lungs. I also have an oxygen saturation monitor. If it shows me with low O-sats, I can use my BiPap more, but it very rare for me to need that. In fact, one of the only times I used my BiPap in this way was when I was in London and got sick. Since I didn’t have any of my normal tools, I used my BiPap for the one day before I flew home. The flight home was stressful as I had no idea how the pressurized cabin would affect me. The faster I can get started on my treatment methods, the shorter my cold lasts. Since I was in Des Moines when my sore throat started, it was more than two days before I arrived home. By then the cold was full blown and I knew I was in for a long recovery. I think I am nearing the end as my back has been in major pain for two days now. I wish I was allowed to take ibuprofen but I am not. Anyone have some narcotics they want to lend me?? How is everyone else feeling? Diarist reserves all rights to his original writing only. Community material is not covered by this © Now a word from out sponsor and onto the Tops! Here at Top Comments we welcome longtime as well as brand new Daily Kos readers to join us at 10pm Eastern. We strive to nourish community by rounding up some of the site's best, funniest, most mojo'd & most informative commentary, and we depend on your help!! If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. Please please please include a few words about why you sent it in as well as your user name (even if you think we know it already :-)), so we can credit you with the find! Top Comments for August 29, 2023 Aww, none tonight. TOP MOJO August 28, 2023 First comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo. TOP PICTURES August 28, 2023 Click any picture to be taken to the full comment or picture. Thank you to the wonderful dKos staff who made it possible to continue this feature in memory of jotter! [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/29/2190409/-Top-Comments-Illness-Progression-Edition Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/