Am I well yet?

I went to the doctor Thursday morning to see if I was good to go to make the trip to Prague. She pretty much said that I was crazy to even think about it, so I guess you'll have to get your traveloghue from the Czech Republic later. Ian's already rebooked for next Spring break. I asked the doctor just how much longer I could expect to be house-bound and she said probably about 2 -3 weeks. She also said that I could start to do small things around the house and take the dog on short walks. And next week, I can even go to Amsterdam for a day if I want. I know there was a time when I would have been excited if someone told me I could spend a day in Amsterdam next week. And I do feel just a little bad about wanting to say, "A day in Amsterdam? Whoop-dee-do. But what about Prague?", but there you have it.

She said there were three reasons I shouldn't go on the trip. The first is that after walking around for 15 minutes, I will be wiped out - and Prague is a city I'm going to want to walk around in, so I would probably end up walking around in it. That won't be good for me. Also, it is damp and cold in Prague (even moreso than here, I guess, which is hard to believe), and that won't be good for me. Finally, she said that every virus on the plane and in the streets would be looking for me because I'm very susceptible to anything right now. I've caught a very small cold already, which has slowed my recovery somewhat. I thought maybe that had happened, but I wasn't sure until she looked into my throat and confirmed it was red in a way that wasn't great.
However, she also said that the rattling in my lungs is less, so I am healing. She then added that it almost always takes this long, "for someone of your age."
Those words just kind of hung in the air for a few minutes... I don't think I have ever heard them before - at least not when they were specifically directed towards me!

Anyway, it's frustrating, but I'm actually a little relieved to hear I shouldn't go to Prague. That was what the voice inside my head was saying, but I didn't want to prevent Ian from having a good vacation - he's really ready for one!

It does feel good know that there is nothing on my plate for the next couple of weeks. At least I don't need to feel guilty about doing nothing. It seems as though either "Oprah" or "As the World Turns" is on here 24/7. Maybe I'll finally see what the big deal is about Oprah. And if that doesn't work out, I can always see what's going on in Oakdale...

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Closer to fine.

I went back to the doctor a couple of days ago - more x-rays and blood tests. My lung is better and my blood is clean. I feel better every day.

Ten years ago this month, my dad died of lung disease. I guess it would have been hard not to have thought about him during the last month even if this wasn't going on with me, but. . .
So far as I know, I don't have anything else going on with my health other than this pneumonia. And I haven't been anywhere near so sick as my dad was toward the end - I haven't needed oxygen, for instance. Still, it has reinforced my conclusion that if I do ever end up with a chronic condition that is not going to get better, well ... Ian won't let me finish that sentence, so you'll have to fill in the blanks yourself. I will say, though, that it's a bit unnerving to watch someone you care about work themself to the bone trying to keep everything together when you're not well enough to pull your weight.


Just sayin'...

On a healthier note, I went on a journey by bus, train and bike today - nothing major, just a trip to see a fysiotherapist in Overveen, near Haarlem. It's about 2 hours, door to door. I still have back trouble, and all the lounging around watching TV I've done for the past month has not help it one little bit. Nor did grading the papers - which I'm finally done with. So today I tried something I've read about, but haven't done before. I had some physical therapy on my shoulder and back. The guy who did it was really good. Bas Willemsen. He's been trained in Active Release Techniques® - a relatively new therapy that deals with all kinds of muscle injury. The guy who came up with it lives in Colorado Srpings. Half my family lives there, so I've tried to make an appointment with him everytime I've gone back, but I've never had my emails or phone calls returned. Since I've had nothing but time on my hands, I researched providers here and found there were a couple.
It's a little painful, but I think it's going to be worth it. Especially since it's covered by my health plan. I feel pretty good today. Time will tell.
Anyway - add Overveen to the list of places to visit in The Netherlands. I would go back even if I didn't have more appointments to get my back fixed up. I forgot my camera, but I'll take it next time I go.
And now, I'm going to bed. I'm whooped.

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Day 17

I went to the doctor yesterday for a checkup. I was feeling pretty good - I woke up for the first time in 16 days in sheets that weren't drenched from night sweats. I haven't had a fever for a couple of days. So, I was feeling pretty upbeat when I went to the doctor.
She listened to my lungs and said that I needed to slow down. That made me laugh, because I've been doing nothing other than staying in bed being waited on by Ian. (You can imagine how much he loves that!) Anyway, she said that my right lung was almost completely filled.
I guess the antibiotic they have me on (Ciprofloxine, I think) is strong, but not as deadly to bacteria as the wide spectrum antibiotic that didn't work. This one just keeps the bacteria from growing, and it's kind of up to my body to heal itself now. She said it would be at least a couple of weeks before I should do anything out of bed.
So, I left feeling a little bummed. I stopped by the store on the way home and bought some cookies covered with chocolate and toffee . I've got to say, they helped.
Ian's in Amsterdam with his German lessons tonight, so Rensa and I are holding down the fort.
Rensa's cabin fever is worse than mine. I went on a short walk with her night before last. It was just around the block - less than 10 minutes. We both needed it. I came home and couldn't move. It wiped me out.
I guess that's the sort of thing I have to stop doing.
The doc says it's serious, but I'll heal if I just don't do anything. Ian says he thinks the only thing I have left to cut out is washing my hands after going to the bathroom. Whatever. As I said, he loves looking after the loved one.
Other than that, everything is OK. It's turned cold - we had frost this morning for the first time. I think we set our clocks back this weekend. Hard to believe.

I didn't get to Maastricht to pick up my students' papers, so they're going to mail them to me. I think they'll get here tomorrow. At least then I'll have something to do!

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