I'm feeling much better now.*

Ok - so far, no one wins any blog bucks...not even me.

It's been a long three weeks, 1 ultrasound, 2 doctor's visits, three blood tests, and two (yes, two, I couldn't come up with four of anything) prescriptions later - I am finally starting to feel better.

So - Dr. A is fired. After the initial visit where I just didn't feel like she was listening to me, I followed-up with her because she was supposed to call me that Friday, which she didn't. By this time I had felt a very distinctive lump in my neck. Despite being a hypochondriac I actually didn't jump the gun and assume a tumor, but I still wanted to know what it was. So I mentioned this to her in our phone conversation where she was telling me to come in for another blood test because maybe the virus was working it's way out of my system and seemed to be trying to get off the phone fast. She ordered an ultrasound...of my neck. Ultrasounds are for babies! No really, they are. But it turns out they do stuff like that for the thyroid and what have you.

I went and gave more blood and had an appointment that Friday for an ultrasound. The ultrasound people told me it was a swollen lymph node...which I feel the doctor could have told me that if she had bothered to see me. At this point I decided that it was all in my head and if the doctor thinks I'm getting better then dangit, I was better!

I had an amazing birthday pancake breakfast on Saturday morning (hereafter referred to as the Last Meal). And then I kind of just went downhill from there. Ryan and I went to O'Charly's for dinner that night. I'm a systematic eater (meaning I eat the fries first) and that's as far as I got. I assumed in half an hour I'd be ready for the chicken - but I wasn't. So they sat in the fridge on rain check for a while.

I went to bed relatively early and I woke up several times on Sunday morning with a soar throat that made me cringe every time I swallowed. It made my ear hurt more than my throat so I assumed I might have an ear infection. Ryan and I left church and went to Patient First.

They got me to the back quickly, which was impressive after my hour long wait in the waiting room at the other doctor's office. They weighed me, heighted me, took my blood pressure and temperature. I was running a fever so they took the dreaded strep test (gag - seriously). Then they left me to wait for a while. The doctor came in, looked at my ear and told me it wasn't an ear infection and then explained why he knew that. Then he felt my neck and found the myriad of swollen lymph nodes. He ordered some blood work, we told him about my other blood work for the past two weeks. He asked what my doctor prescribed...nothing. He seemed a bit surprised by that. He prescribed me some antibiotics and told me to take Tylenol for the pain in my throat and ear (just one side).

Ryan and I left there and went to Joanna's for dinner....of which I barely ate. I slept a lot. I slept a lot the next few days. The worst was Tuesday, I got home at 5 and went straight to bed. I woke up around 11 and tried to nibble on a PB sandwich but didn't get far and fell back asleep until 7:30 the next morning. Even then, all I wanted to do was sleep.

My co-worker Pam said that enough was enough and she looked up the side effects of my prescription. One was nausea, which I was certainly feeling A LOT of. So she had me call the doctor and get a different prescription. Then she found the "severe" list. The last two were, lack of energy and extreme tiredness. Pam said, "You have those last two!" and I thought, "aren't they the same thing?" but regardless, I did have both.

SO - I am on a new antibiotic and I am feeling more myself today than I have since New Year's Eve. Still tired, throat is still a little sore, but I'm awake and I don't feel like I am going to throw up. And last night, I ate dinner...something I haven't really done since last Friday.

So - win.

p.s. sorry if this post is totally random. I can't remember what you already know and what you don't. So hopefully - there aren't total blanks in there.