Flu-Landia

Russel Hiatt, you've just run your first marathon now what are you going to do???

I'M GOING TO FLU-LANDIA!!!

So here it is a full week after the marathon and I am finally feeling back to my old self. There were a few dark signs early on that something sinister was afoot like a tickle in my throat last Friday night and the beginnings of an irritated cough as a result of the tickle. But I managed in finest Zircon style to hold those symptoms at bay at least until Saturday night. After the mararthon we headed home to relieve Amy's folks who had been watching Carter and Gracen for the day. I then proceeded to take an hour and a half nap. Then woke up had some yummy Mellow Mushroom pizza, and then head to bed by around 7 p.m.

Some time during the night I woke up feeling hot and ran my fingers through my hair to find my entire head sopping wet like I was in the middle of a long sweaty run. Gross I know, I fell back asleep and woke up probably a couple of hours later in the same situation. Ok definitely not a good sign but again I fell back asleep with the fever broken and I assumed over. I woke up the next morning and felt reasonably able to make it to church. We went to the early service with me walking gingerly but still managing. The cough from Friday night had returned with a new strength. We made it through church and I thought I was still doing reasonably well. We headed home to let Gracen nap and then we actually went back out for groceries. By the time we got back from the store I needed to rest on the couch. Still no major alarms going off here, I had a reason to feel tired. By that evening though there were other signs appearing like cold chills preceeding fever spikes. Now I actually started measuring my temps. I definately had a low grade fever above 100. I crawled into bed early again and by Monday morning I knew I was in trouble.

Throughout the night I re-experienced fever cycles and by the morning I could barely sit up. The cough was getting worse. I got up and called for a sub and quickly organized some plans which I emailed in. Then I went back to sleep until around 12:30 or 1 p.m. Amy had called sometime late morning to check in and I was still asleep. When I got up I was between fever cylcles and actually felt hungry. I was able to eat some leftover pizza and begin re-hydrating. I had done a decent job of keeping the fluids coming all of Sunday and didn't want to get into trouble on Monday so I kept it up. By the end of Monday I knew I wasn't going in the next day either so I went ahead and called in to extend the sub.

After another night of the same feverish cycles and a worsening congestion and cough I was worried enough Tuesday to head to urgent care. I had a fairly miserable two hour wait for them to finally tell me that I had the flu even though they had just run out of flu tests. I got my lungs checked out and a strep culture that came up negative. They sent me out the door with a prescription for Tamiflu and advice to drink lots of gatorade. I filled my prescription and hung out on the couch dozing off and on.

Whatever is in Tamiflu it works. By Wedn morning I was already beginning to feel better. The fever cycles reduced to almost none and my appetite was returning. It didn't hurt that we had a snow day also. I was really able to lounge around with my lovely caring wife taking care of the kids. By the afternoon I was ready to be up and was having a hankerin for a Chic Filet sandwich. Amy didn't need her arm twisted too hard so we loaded up and headed down the hill for a short drive to be out of the house.

Thursday I was actually able to head in for the better part of a snow day to start to get caught up a little and leave some new sub plans for Friday. As it turned out I was actually able to use that for Monday since the middle school was able to go on their ski trip. I had really hoped to be able enough to go, but it was a better thing for me to rest and be ready to go today. I had been given orders by the doctor not to return to school before Monday.

By the weekend I was really starting to come back around. My Dad came up to visit and we had a nice low key weekend. Now it's back to the grind. But hey only three weeks to Spring Break and then time will really start to fly. Still gonna give myself an easy week this week before really getting back into running.

Cheers... Zircon...