My trip through tripledemic-land

I don't like going to doctors, especially if I'm not feeling well.  This past week, though, my pre-surgery paranoia reached its limit, and I finally called my primary care office to ask advice.

I got an e-mail from the surgical hospital asking me to fill out forms online, related to that scheduled event (still a couple of weeks off).  I got as far as the section of questions about Covid and screeched to a halt.  I had taken home Covid tests on Friday the 21st (pre-CSG Walk), and again on Monday the 24th (because I had symptoms by then and a scheduled softener salt delivery to the house).  Both were negative.  

Symptoms were still there on Wednesday afternoon as I was trying to fill out these pre-surgery forms... so... the phone call.  The nurse was very kind, of course.  She asked the appropriate questions about symptoms and timing, and I mentioned my upcoming surgery.  At this point she decided I'd best be looked at, and Thursday morning I was.

Here's the symptom problem:  besides not being good at connecting physical sensations to words, this crazy quilt of a "thing" kept changing on me.  Over the course of Sunday through Thursday, I had experienced:

• runny nose
• dry mouth
• sore throat
• slightly elevated temperature (topped out at 100, which dropped within an hour to 99.3, without meds)
• muscle aches that were preventing sleep
• cough (productive - yuck) which woke me up every couple of hours
• a touch of nausea (started Thursday morning)

Since they weren't going away (just changing in nature), and it had been five days or so... seemed wise to have better answers for that questionnaire!  They swabbed me for three separate tests at the office.  One for Covid-19 (just in case my home tests were wrong). Nope, the professional test also said not Covid.  Onward.  The second was for flu, which while it's not high flu season in Summer, it's an available test.  Nope, not that either.  Which leads to the last one, the one they were all concerned about pediatric cases last Winter:  RSV.  Respiratory Syncytial Virus.  Bingo!  We have a winner.

The bad news:  there's a vaccine under development, but it hasn't been released/approved yet.  Besides, I've already GOT the bugger by the time the test was done.  Anti-viral was not recommended.  She mentioned antibiotics sometimes prescribed "just in case" but since I'm allergic to the penicillin family I waved off that suggestion.  I know there are other antibiotics, but this is a virus, and antibiotics don't help.

The good news:  RSV usually goes away (i.e. resolves itself) within "a week, or two" (she emphasized the TWO).  Just get plenty of rest, fluids, go ahead and use tylenol or advil for the aches and pains.  She sent me for a chest x-ray, which came back clean (apparently this nasty can settle into the lower lungs, but in my case, nope, at least I was spared that).  She said if I had chest pains or shortness of breath, go to the ER, but otherwise, just keep on with the self-care I was already doing.

I think that if it resolves in the next day or two it will not threaten the surgical schedule, but I'll find that out in the phone call and after the pre-op physical.  I'm just glad to have an answer.  And day by day I'm getting better.  

Meanwhile, so is The Prisoner.  He's been going in and out at will.  Despite the high heat, he prefers the great outdoors.  I put water out on the deck for him, and he comes in a few times a day to eat and get de-burred or just for companionship.  I make sure he's back inside for the night, though.  His stitches have pretty much dissolved, and the fur is growing back.  

Rubia has still not put in an appearance, and I'm afraid I may have to accept she's gone for good.  It would be happy to think she's found herself another family.  

I still believe that Life is Good.  Stay positive and Spark on!