Friday, December 07, 2007

Further In Sickness

I've been curious to see how my body would adapt to its first winter in five years, and this week I got the answer: It will sacrifice the lymph nodes.

Those of you who have read my book (don't tell me if you haven't; I'll just feel rejected and you'll just feel guilty) are aware of my titanic battle with a tonsil abscess. A lymph node infection kind of feels like that, only slightly less like total upper-respiratory Armageddon. On the plus side, according to the medical link up there at the top of the post, swollen lymph nodes can also indicate genital herpes and the plague, so I've got that going for me. For the time I am content to have nearly passed out in the emergency clinic after a blood draw, although it involved hanging up on Josh The Pilot with the announcement, "I need to go now. I'm fainting."

So my most excellent husband magnanimously offered to stay home from work and care for me, which so far has involved laying next to me while eating a Rice Krispie treat, and also trekking to the grocery for chicken noodle soup, which I asked for due to the fact that it requires a great deal of courage to swallow at the moment.

Josh The Pilot returned much flummoxed, declaring that he was not aware soup was so complicated, and handed me a can of Campell's Chunky Homestyle, which is precisely what a person who cannot swallow pines for-- large bits of carrots and chicken. So as I type this, he is manually de-chunking the soup, which, while tedious, is probably far preferable to dealing with my last major illness, the Dreaded Both-Ends NoroVirus. I am sure my sister's duck-shaped bathmat agrees.

Mary Beth Ellis and the Nodes of Lymph at: mbe@drinktothelasses.com

7 comments:

OSA said...

I am sending you sunshine and warmth from Australia. I hope you feel better soon. I am glad to read JTP is taking good care of you, de-chunking and everything!

The Spencers said...

All I can say, is "Been there". I had my tonsils out finally in April (yeah, a 23 year old crying as they put the IV in, real fun). I am now having my first post-tonsillectomy sore throat. I have to admit, I forgot I could still get them. But nonetheless, it hurts. I've had the swollen lymph nodes, too. Poor MB! Hang in there! And JTP, hang in there too.

Unknown said...

So is this a tradition now of getting sick at year's end? Hopefully this time will be better or at least less bad.

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, since I was very small. There's hardly a picture of me at Christmas time when I'm not in a nightgown. It kicks off the Horrible Birthday Karma (tm). Thanks for the good wishes-- I'm feeling a little better today.

Kell Belle said...

MB-
So sorry to see that you are sick. I am glad that JTP is making an effort to take care of you. Don't forget your Vitamin C.

KB

Red Pill Junkie said...

I really hope you get better soon so you'll enjoy your Xmas dinner without the need of blending the turkey so it can pass through a straw :-(

AdriansCrazyLife said...

I am sure this little part on the medical website just thrilled you "The inflammation can last for a prolonged period of time". Poor MB - I'd send you tea and sympathy, but I don't have your address, so you'll just have to settle for the sympathy. Hope you feel better soon!

PS: On the bright side, I have some Christmas shopping to do on Amazon using your clicky thing, so at least you'll get some minor residuals to pay for the chicken soup - chunky or not.

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