Wednesday, February 11, 2009

In Sickness

Despite a visit to the doctor yesterday evening, my breathing difficulties weren't improving much. By now, I had a diagnosis -- bronchitis -- and I was wary it might worsen into pneumonia.




Not wanting to spend another sleepless night gasping for air, I followed my doctor's advice and decided to go to the hospital for treatment. My entourage -- mom, dad and Chris -- accompanied me, but I sent my parents home after an hour. (Call it hospital guilt: I didn't want so many people losing sleep on my account.)

As we waited for my name to be called -- to treat what we by then knew definitively was bronchitis -- Chris made sure I continued to hydrate (to bring the fever down), helped make me comfortable (with a cushy pillow) and tried to ease my mind (by talking through the pictures saved on his cell phone). I felt safe and loved, as we discussed what he noticed in my x-ray (an empty stomach, because I didn't have much of an appetite!) and how prednisone would help treat my bronchitis. (Don't forget -- Chris is nearly a fully-qualified doctor of physical therapy! And, conveniently enough, he used to work as a PT aide at the hospital we visited.)

All night, I recited a litany of apologies -- and each time, Chris hushed me. When we left the ER (a little before 2:00 a.m.), I was breathing easier, thanks to the aforementioned oral steroid, and a brief nebulizer treatment -- and Chris's watchfulness and care.

This wasn't the first health-related issue we've gone through as a couple -- we've each had several surgeries (most recently, my "implants"), and for the first few months of our relationship, I was on bedrest with mono. But with the wedding fast approaching, "in sickness and in health" loomed large in my mind. I will, of course, be sure to follow Chris's reiterative admonition ("Take care of yourself!"). However, it feels pretty nice to know I have someone looking our for me, as well.

2 comments:

  1. Hi MagPie...I found you on Wedding Bee! I hope your doing much better. I have asthma myself and had to deal with bronchitis many of times when I was younger but I luckily havent had it since high school. I think maybe the college air away from Philly might have helped!

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  2. I hope you doing better :) I do the same thing with the guilt... I guess it is something we both need to work on :)

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