day twee

(and a doozy it is!)
So, here it is November 2nd already, I seem to be on a roll with this blog thing. Though can anyone tell me where the past 10 months went? I swear it was January just last week...

Perhaps my lapse in time has something to do with being sick for about 5 out of the past 8 weeks! I hate being sick and I have been lucky much of the year to be germ free. But sometime in early September I came down with a pesky, and highly persistent, lung bug. I think I stayed in bed at least 10 full days. That's highly unusual for me. Sure, I can loll around in bed with the best of them, but not for 10 days!

Two weeks of that and I broke down, determined to find a doctor. The Dutch have a funny (ok just different) way of locating a primary care doctor. There is no internet research or asking around to find the most recommended doctor through trusted friends. You have to find someone whose office is near your home, like within a few blocks or they won't see you. Apparently it is so that if they have to do housecalls, they don't have far to go. Seems a bit fishy to me, but I called around to few places and was relieved to eventually find someone around the corner who was taking on new patients.

There was no way to learn anything about the doctor I was supposed to see. All I knew was the last name. I didn't even know if it was a man or a woman, much less where they attended medical school. In the US, you can find out where your MD went to medical school, what specialties they focus on and sometimes even see a photo. No such luck here but I was happy to have an appointment the next morning.

I was pleased to meet the doctor, who seemed perfectly competent though was quite possibly a few years younger than me (aren't doctors supposed to be older and wiser?). He listened to my lungs, had me describe my symptoms and gave me a prescription for antibiotics to vanquish the bug I could not rid myself of. Everyone told me it would be difficult to find a doctor who would prescribe antibiotics, that doctors here usually send you home the first few visits and tell you to take tylenol. I knew I needed antibiotics so I was happy I didn't even have to ask.

And after coughing for 2 weeks straight, I had managed to pull muscles in my ribcage and in my groin area, so he gave me tylenol with codeine to stop both the coughing and the pain. I normally try to avoid taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary (in this case yes) and am not a fan of the side effects. Exhausted and in pain, I happily filled both prescriptions and went home to heal. Took a few days but the antibiotics did their work and I was back on my feet again thanks to the pharmaceuticals.

[Is is just me, or does this seem like I'm some whiney old lady complaining about my ailments.... Hopefully there is some entertainment value in this. if not, please tell me to shut up already!]

A few weeks later I came down with a head cold. Your typical, pain in the ass, sniffly, sneezy, headachy, generally feel like shit cold. Yuck. Ok, so weeks of battling germs probably left my immune system a bit weak, but I felt like I'd already had my fair share of sickness for the year. I suffered through and did my best to treat the symptoms with the stash of OTC stuff I have. Dayquil, Nyquil, Decongestants, etc. I could probably treat a small village with the stuff I have here.

It might not have been so bad, if we didn't have a wedding to attend in Paris that weekend. It's just plain wrong to dread a trip to Paris. But my dear friend was getting married and I had to be there, so we took the train and I sucked it up as best as I could and tried to have a good time.

It really wasn't so bad, but as the cold subsided, it morphed into a sinus infection. The kind where your face hurts and you feel like you're walking around with a few extra pounds of sludge in your head. Not good. And, no, it certainly wasn't the most fun weekend I've ever spent a Paris.

god, this post is getting out of hand. I'll have to do part 2 tomorrow, where i tell you about my adventures with the Chinese doctor next door....