An Epidemic

Apparently I'm a part of an epidemic.

The flu that is currently going around the Boston area is the talk of the town...why...because everyone's got it. Lung congestion and sinus congestion that won't seem to go away.

Generally I try to avoid doctors. I'm not really sure they can help with anything other than perhaps broken bones. But, before I went to Iraq I was diagnosed with latent TB. Latent TB means that at some point I was exposed to Tuberculous and I fought it off. I do not have it, but TB only goes into remission and could come back at any time. Nobody can catch it if I'm in a remission state, but there's nothing to guarantee that's the way I'll stay (at least until I go through a year long treatment plan).

So after 5 days of hacking away with coughs so bad the neighbors can hear me through the walls I figured maybe I'd better get looked at. When I did go to the doctor she said there was nothing that made her believe I had anything other than the flu that's been going around. That's good news, but could she really tell that by listening to my breath? When I teach every year I have to go get a chest x-ray to show that my lungs are clear.

I wanted to hear if a) it was the flu b) if was possibly allergies (because I've had flu like reactions to allergens before) or c) it was TB. She said it was most likely the flu and prescribed allergy medicine. Why did she prescribe the allergy medicine? If it's a virus, why give me drugs?

At least I know I'm not alone. I wasn't aware there was a flu epidemic in the region. I don't work, so I don't have interaction with that many people. The snow has created snow days for schools, so no substitute jobs have come up, and while I do volunteer, only two people have been sick, and they're the type that are sick when it's convenient to be sick (usually).

What I'd really like to know is if there's anything I can do to get rid of this terrible cough. The student nurse practitioner was the only one to give me any realistic advice. Take Robitussin, she said. And I will. But I'm wondering if I should just head over to a naturopathic clinic to see what kind of alternatives they might have. It seems like it could hardly be any worse that what I've already been told. In the mean time I'm doing the same thing I've always been told to do when sick. Drink lots of water, get a good night's sleep, and take tylonol for any pain. I'm just looking forward to when that will actually work...