Disease of the Month

And I do mean of the month.

And I'm not talking about cancer; this is Not a Cancer™ post.

I have had bronchitis (well, other viruses that have morphed excitingly into bronchitis) for a month. Twenty-nine days, to be exact, which is a month, at least this year.

That's ridiculous.

But February 10th I went in for what turned out to be "a flu-like virus" (which means that it's not the flu but it mimics the flu. 'kay).

On the 21st I ended up in the E.R. with a complication of said virus (or maybe a new one; there's no test) because neither the urgent care clinic nor my own doctor's office is open at 7AM on a Sunday.

They tested everydamnthing, because 40-something obese woman walks in and says the dreaded phrase, "shortness of breath." You will all be glad to know that at that time, it was still just viral bronchitis. See? Treat the symptoms, here's a refill for your inhaler.

Last Friday (March 4th) I still had major coughing and shortness of breath. Back into my own doc. She looks at me and shakes her head and says, "I know you hate it, but it's Prednisone time. Breathing trumps sleeping." (And apparently also the munchies, hot flashes, and the shudder I get here lately when I hear the word "trump.") Also she gave me a capsule-based cough suppressant, which makes me dizzy. Hooray.

Today (March 7th) I had a heckuva flare-up at work. Can't breathe, overuse of inhaler, can't stop coughing. Thank goodness for good medical insurance and a decent time-off policy (and that Laston's used up our deductible already), because off I go again.

The urgent care doc takes one look at me, one look at my chart and says that given it's been a month, if I don't have something bacterial going on in there yet, I will soon. Take Zithromax, and for the love of all you hold holy, take some codeine, at least at bedtime. You're already sleeping lightly from the Prednisone, you need your rest, take the dang cough syrup.

But why? I've had asthma for a couple of decades, we've had wet winters (even for Seattle) before, I get bronchitis on average once a year. It never lasts a month.

Stress, perchance?

My mom thinks so, doncha, Mom? The doctors think so; stress wears you down and makes you more susceptible, both to disease and to complications. Heck, the QA manager at my work has been gently bullying me into taking some time to just de-stress!

Maybe they have a point.

So, aside from cookie sales tonight (I can lean on things, and there's little walking around involved; the kids do most of the work and I'm there in a supervisory capacity), I'm just... done for the day.

Please come buy cookies at the Thrasher's Corner Safeway (south door) between 6-8 tonight. The Girl Scouts of Western Washington thank you.

And it'll make it worth my going back out.

Two Years Running

Normally we go to Norwescon every year for our anniversary (as you know if you read my blog on a regular basis). We missed last year due to cash flow issues, and this year, well...

...those issues are still there, but more to the point, Norwescon happens on a Chemo Week (so yes, this is a Cancer Post™). There is little chance that Laston will be up for conning on the Friday or Saturday of that week, even if we did have the cash to go and stay in the hotel and all. Which we don't, not for the whole shebang including the hotel room. And there is NO way he'd be up for day trips to the con including the drives up and down.

This is depressing to both of us.

And we've already seen the movies we want to see, dang it.

Maybe we'll just farm the kids out to their other respective parents (as already planned because it's the older two's weekend with Other Parents, and Grandma MAY take Miz Liz if it's a Norwescon weekend anyway (they do Easter-y things like dyeing eggs),) and order in all those spicy and nut-filled things the kids can't handle.

Just to make life more entertaining, I DO work on Easter Sunday. I don't think we get paid extra either, because it's not a national holiday. Phht.

Anyway, yes, this post is just a complaint between calls at work.

Wahhhhhhhhhh....

Not Your Mother's Marvel Movie

Also, a Cancer Post™, but not Laston's cancer, except as part of the New Normal. No, this is about Deadpool's cancer.

Here there be spoilers, or at least links to same.

And links to tropes, from which you may never escape.

And almost certainly language that is not a normal part of this blog, at least in the links (although in the blog itself not as bad as the players in the movie itself; their language is... well... very Samuel Jackson. Hey! Maybe we'll get an example of that word from Jackson's mouth in the Marvel franchise after all!).

You have been warned.

First of all, Deadpool is a dick.

He's not the Jerk Jock or the Boisterous Bruiser that Thor is.

Or the Jerk with a Heart of Gold of Iron Man.

Certainly not the Beware the Nice Ones Ideal Hero of Captain America.

In fact, Deadpool's not a hero at all, as he lampshades constantly throughout the movie. Probably not even an Anti-Hero. Possibly he's an Anti-Villain. Or even a Villain Protagonist (although none of those links include Deadpool in them under Live-Action Film... and I haven't checked the Comic Books links because, well, this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe).

Courtesy of www.comingsoon.net

If you want a Boy Scout, this is the wrong movie (except for Colossus, who keeps trying to get Deadpool to watch his language around the young heroes, and giving what he clearly believes to be inspirational speeches in the hopes of turning Deadpool into a Good Guy).

Oh, and those lampshades that Deadpool hangs all over the movie? He does most of them by Breaking the Fourth Wall. In one spot, he even lampshades breaking the fourth wall.

But he is possibly the most sympathetic bad guy I've seen in this universe, Not even excepting Magneto.

Oh, and he can sew. Certainly better than Spidey can. He can out-snark Spiderman, too, plus adding all those words I don't say on this blog, as mentioned above.

So  basically, Deadpool is to Marvel Cinematic Universe as Spamalot is to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Only more so.

Overkill Can Be Useful

Not a Cancer Post™ (except peripherally)

As you know from a couple weeks ago, I have the flu. Or something enough like it to be classed as "a flu-like virus" if not actually the flu.

And I was getting better.

Then on Friday morning I had what looked like a relapse; temp went back up, coughing some more, etc. I called the doc who said it wasn't uncommon less than ten days into a virus, and to get fluids, rest, etc., plus added some springtime allergy treatment (yes, I know it's not spring. The weather in the Seattle area is though).

Saturday I felt punk but a little better, so I went to work, Dayquil in hand. Scratchy throat, stuffy nose, headache, no appetite (although I don't have a problem with that symptom), the usual.

Sunday I woke myself up coughing, and now - excuse me for the graphics - the cough was, well.... yucky: yellow-green and ewwww. Fine. Called into work so they can tinker with my schedule and I can go to the doc (Laston's not immuno-compromised, but why risk it?). Problem is that at 7AM on a Sunday, nobody is open but the E.R.

At Urgent Care or in my regular doctor's office, they'd take a look at my person and my medical history, take a listen to my chest, and diagnose bronchitis (viral or otherwise). Usually it's treat-the-symptoms, unless it's bacterial. The emergency room is a different place.

They test for everything.

So, we know I do NOT have strep, staph, pneumonia, diabetes, heart problems, or broken ribs.

I do have viral bronchitis.

And I treat the symptoms.

But at least I know.

The More Things Change...

...you likely know the rest.

A Cancer (and flu) Post™

Laston does not have flu; let me very clear, and reassure you all on that point at the start of this post.

His wife does, though.

As I had my flu shot (I'm asthmatic, and Laston's on chemo. Hence, flu shot is pretty much a given), it's likely lighter than it would otherwise be.

Still miserable though.

Not so miserable that I can't find humor in the situation. When the doctor says, "If you can't afford Tamiflu, just treat the symptoms," and my first thought is do I look that badly off financially? (which I am, but I didn't think I looked it particularly), only to find out that Tamiflu, for which there is no generic equivalent, costs $112.25.

With my very decent medical insurance.

No wonder she said it. It had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the American healthcare "system" (quotes intentional).

See, stays the same.

So treat the symptoms it is. I took today off work, and Thursday and Friday are my regular days off. Aside from laundry, I can rest. Fluids? Check. Pain relievers? Check.

Other, more minor but very irritating things also stay the same. For instance, cancer or not, Laston has never learned to replace the toilet paper roll. Lizzy doesn't seem to grok that achy-body mama really doesn't want to be cuddled. Abby will do chores when asked, but there is a lot of eye rolling and sighing.

It's kind of reassuring, in a way.

The Gift Economy

Remember this post, when I said we really need a new couch?

Well, we got one. And we didn't have to pay thousands of dollars at Bothell Furniture, or even hundreds at Ikea (plus all the swearing involved in assembling such things).

Instead, we got this lovely four-butt, one-chaise sofa, complete with rolling storage ottoman and a few pillows thrown in for good measure.

For the price of the gas it took us to pick it up.

At today's gas prices, that's a real steal.

This is all something that came to us via the Buy Nothing Project. It's like freecycle, but more... specifically neighborhood based, rather than Free Craigslist, which is what freecycle always seemed like to me. Basically, if you have something to give/lend, you post it in your neighborhood's group. If you have something you need, you post ditto.

I live in an area that could be any one of three neighborhood groups, one of which I also work in, so I chose that one. The rules say you only belong to one, and you also don't share your sob stories in an effort to get picked as the recipient of a given item (most givers, if there are multiple potential recipients, have a child choose, or a random choice via names drawn from a hat or suchlike).

This is an alternative to selling on craigslist or ebay, or  giving to Goodwill or something. This way you know it gets used by your neighbors. And you get neat posts like this one, where the youngest child in the house says things like, "This couch is the Best Couch Ever and I don't know why anyone would give it away. And so many bonuses, like the dragonfly pillow and this HUGE FOOTSTOOL."

It doesn't get a lot better than that.