Here we go again! I got my first bad sinus infection of the fall semester. My colleague swore he wasn’t contagious. I sat near (not next to) him and still got his germs. My rheumatologist called in doxycycline pills on Friday afternoon. After spending the last 36 hours in bed and after taking three of twenty doses of antibiotics, I’m starting to feel a little less like I was run over by a bus. I might try to take a bath this afternoon, that is if I’m up to that level of excitement.
This is one of the things I most hate about this illness. Even when you’re ticking along, not feeling so bad, getting through the day, BOOM! When you least expect it something happens to pull the rug out from under your feet. Whether it’s a flare, an infection, an increase in pain or a shortfall in your meds, there’s seemingly always something that happens to change the status quo.
Developing the skills to cope with the ever-shifting-sands of PSA is a longterm endeavor. Having the flexibility of mind and spirit to cope with these changes in an appropriate way, a new way, a positive way, is my ongoing challenge. This illness is part of me. It doesn’t define me but it most certainly shapes who I am.
I am committed to living a full and rich life. I know that sometimes my life must be lived from bed with antibiotics and Kleenex. Other times it might be lived with a clenched jaw, in pain and stiffness. And there are plenty of times when my life is full, enriching, and surrounded by friends and fun and activity. No matter which stage I’m in, I am bound and determined to embrace that challenge and live fully in the circumstances presented.
So, excuse me while I work my way through this box of tissues with a snotty nose, a sore throat and an achy back. I’m living my life!
