Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Good Work

{this sticker that says 'good work' is on the floor of the women's bathroom where i work. it's been there for about a week. i'm not commenting on the quality of the cleaning. . . somehow this message to smile must have been meant for me!}

So. . . I've been coughing for awhile now. A while meaning somewhere in the neighborhood of seven weeks, give or take a week or two. I mean, really. . . after a month or so who keeps track?

Ali has it too. She gave up a while back and went to the doctor for antibiotics. Didn't do a thing for her but lighten her wallet so I didn't go.

By the way, she's still coughing.

Last Friday morning I woke up feeling like a cranky old woman. My back hurt. My lungs were full of crud and a had a new, terrible pain in my right side. The kind of pain that hurt to breathe. That made me feel nauseous. I was just positive I was having a gallbladder attack or something.

All I could think was, "Damn, it really sucks getting old! What in the world is going to go bad next??"

The pain in my side persisted. Finally on Sunday I gave it up and took myself to the urgent care place where, it turns out, I learn that I've broken my rib from coughing so much. {Seriously?? Do I now have osteoporosis or what??}

As the 12 year old nurse was writing out a prescription for some antibiotics {i have bronchitis too} she casually asked how old I was. When I answered "46," her next question made me question my non-violent values.

"And do you remember when your last period was, or are you all the way through menopause now?"

She's lucky that I'm old. And have a broken rib. Because I sure did want to punch her.

2 comments:

SharonP said...

Maybe she thought your face was so red because you were having a hot flash. As a trained 12 year old nurse she should know that menopausal women can get really cranky too.

Ami said...

Holy crap. I have a friend who broke a rib the same way. Not good.
Hope it's better immediately. Ugh.

And I'd love to be done with menopause... but noooooo. Hell no. I still have the monthlies at the most inconvenient times possible. Like two weeks ago when we had our anniversary trip to the Oregon Coast.