Swelling

The brilliant start to 2015 continues. Two months down and I lurch from one problem to another. Luck seems to have deserted me and without trying to sound too paranoid fate seems intend on mocking me. The photo above does not show the full damage. I will get to that but let me try as briefly as I can to explain how I got there.

A virus has given everyone of my family a problem of late and judging by others we speak to we are not alone. Its that time of year. I had real bad problems with my breathing due to being blocked up so decided a bowl of hot water, some vicks and a towel would do the job. That is what I set about doing and half an hour later with a sweaty face and stinging eyes I was still completely blocked up. Breathing sticks and other things followed but that steam facial, if that is the name for it, created another problem. I had a small spot on my left temple. The day after that it was a rather big spot and stayed that way for a couple of days.

It wasn't a problem. It was a spot and it would go but I have never learned to just accept things and let them pass as they usually do of their own accord. I am a finger poker and feel the need to bring about a quicker conclusion with a solution of my own devising. A problem solver. A need to fix it or if I don't the "problem" will be dissected and put back together endlessly in my head until I do something or it passes. It creates an agitation for sure. Usually if I really felt the need to rid myself of a spot I would get a plaster and a dab of Germolene and apply it for a few days and that would be that. A solution. I got a plaster and then was searching about the bathroom, which is like a huge pharamacy of out of date wares, for Germolene when I noticed my daughter's Clearasil wipes. Bingo. A little dab of that and it will be gone. Sorted.

About 2 hours after that my wife came home from work. She looked at me and with a shocked expression asked if I had been in a fight. I told her no and she replied: well what the hell has happened to your face. Of course before I could even move I was struck with panic and the propelled me to the bathroom where I looked in the mirror to find it looked as if I had been battered over the side of the head with a wrench. The left temple area was swolled and my eye was swollen. To me an obvious reaction to wipe but a worry as it had all swollen up around the eye.

The following day it was worse and this prompted my wife to call out a doctor. Most people would have gone to hospital. A reaction or swelling won't have people rushing to A&E but when its near an area like the eye I am sure they would. The doctor came out the following day and refused to believe it was a reaction. Instead he diagnosed an infection and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic. All good? Its taken a while. I have now finished my course and although its gone down considerably it is still there and there is a worry while it is that it may flare up again. The doctor's parting words were that because of where it was if it did not get better I would have to go to hospital. That is something I really could not cope with. For now though I don't have to.

And slower still

The slow start to the year started to pick up some speed last week as hoped. The kids went back to school and I took the kids there in the morning while my wife went to work and later I went with my wife to pick them up- eventually. The first two days of the week I didn't. The walk in the morning was not as difficult as I expected but after it the fatigue was incredible and I just could not muster the energy to go to the school twice in one day. I did on Wednesday and Thursday but thankfully by then it was holidays and both of us were glad of the rest. For whatever reason the kids were off Friday, yesterday and today. In-service days or something like that. But I was starting to get back into the routine despite my body struggling to catch up.

I should have seen it coming though. My dad dropped in on Friday with birthday presents for the boy and I was still feeling OK but my wife had gone downhill again. She felt as bad as before but now had a constant cough on top. It started I think the day before. Once again I was 48 hours behind and by Saturday I was the same. It has been an absoloute nightmare to be honest and at the moment is not looking like its going to improve any time soon.

The kids go back to school tomorrow but I have already told my wife I can't take them. I had not been out since Thursday and knew it was going to be tough so today I pushed myself out the door at lunchtime hoping it would not be as bad as I thought and I would be able to take the kids to school. It was worse though. The plan was to go around the block, about half a mile in a circle, and if I felt OK then go towards the school. I got about a third of the way around the block and was struggling with my breathing from constant coughing fits. In fact it was on  the point of hyperventilating and I was starting to get panicky. I did however carry on all the way around but that was that. I came back indoors knowing its going to be a good few days before I can manage a mile or more.

Obviously my worry is that this has gone into a chest infection. Its exactly what my wife took the youngest girl to the GP for and after a check up it was found she was fine. But this is getting very like when I had a chest infection and even if I had antibiotics at the moment they don't work for at least a week of taking them- at least that is my experience. So the immediate future is not filled with much fun ahead. Also of concern is how far back this is going to set me given its been such a stop start beginning to the year and more so because I expect a summons sometime soon telling me I have to go to the job center in the next town or my money will stop.

I think though what is most obvious is that I am adding worry where, at the moment, it is not needed and of no benefit. What I am experiencing is what most people experience this time of year and I am in no worse state than them. The rest I can worry about if and when it transpires to be the case.

Not very uplifting couple of posts which I apologise for but just had to get it off my chest. Its all part of life and hopefully these sort of posts will be in the minority this year and I can look forward to better times ahead.