Sunday, February 08, 2009

Good News, Bad News

The good news is we're getting a cat! I feel kinda bad because Pirate really, REALLY wanted a kitten,* but we went to the other local animal shelter on Friday and absolutely fell in love. He's brown and white with really striking markings, very fluffy, is 2 years old, prone to urinary tract infections, is incredibly friendly and cuddly, and his name is Fred.

The shelter doesn't know much about his history as he was brought in as a stray, but he's waaaay to friendly with people to have been born stray. I suspect he was dumped by an owner who couldn't cope with his bladder problems.

But the good people at the shelter have got his problems under control, and assure us that all he needs is to be fed a special diet and he should be fine. I'm sure he'll still have the occassional flare-up, but I'll watch his litter closely and get his urine tested every 6 months or so, which is no big deal at all.

So after we visited him I decided I was completely in love with him, and I looked at Pirate with big, doleful eyes and he gave in. He's such a good man, but i do feel a bit guilty. I've promised him that after Fred is all settled in we will look for a kitten. Someone seriously needs a kitten. Bless.

And now for The Bad News.

I am sick as a dog. I don't know what's wrong, but I have the worst sore throat in human history. The throat started Friday afternoon, and by the small hours saturday morning my whole body was in agony. My head was pounding, my throat was so sore I couldn't sip water without extreme discomfort, and every muscle and joint in my body ached. I could barely move. I spent the day lying on the couch and moaning.

Today I am a little better. The body aches have subsided somehwat, so I'm more comfortable than I was yesterday, but everything above my collar bone still hurts like a bitch: my head is pounding, and when i swallow it feels like someone is choking me to death and the pain goes right up my ear canals. I've managed to eat a scrambled egg, 2 popsicles, and 2 glasses of apple juice. That's since Friday night, and now it's sunday morning. Pirate tried to get me to drink some Lemsip** but hot things make my throat hurt more and after it cooled it was so disgusting i gagged and almost threw up. Oh yeah, I've had some nausea and stomach cramping as well.

Clearly I am dying.

Does anyone know a disease that is characterized by an incredibly sore throat and massive body aches? Cuz really, if it wasn't for all the pain I'm in, I would just have a slight stuffy nose and that would be it. I'm seriosuly wondering if it's not my tonsils. This is truly not your run-of-the-mill sore throat.

Oh yeah, there's more: Pirate got contacts!

It's very strange. Normally the only time I see him without his glasses is when we're making love, and therefore I find it a huge turn-on when he takes them off, because I know what it foretells. But now he's wearing contacts and every time I look at him I think I'm about to get some. If I wasn't in so much fucking pain I'd be the most turned-on woman in the western world right about now.

*"self-propelled balls of entertaiment" according to Pirate

**Theraflu to you Yanks

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you have a fever also (which can cause body ache), I might investigate strep throat. However, a friend of mine who is a doctor informed me last year, when I was drug seeking for same from her, that after age 20 or so that symptomology is much more likely to be a virus than strep. So she told me to sod off for another couple of days and see if it went away. Turns out she was right. It went away.

Anonymous said...

Hey CB,

This is probably too extreme, but a sore throat like that was the first indicator that I'd come down with mono. I couldn't swallow anything, and ached all over. Overnight it got to the point that it felt like my throat had swelled up enough to block my air canal. They gave me antibiotics at the hospital, and when those didn't work, they did the bar epstein test.

But again, that is probably me being overly alarmist - I do hope you feel better soon!!! I'll send get-well wishes your way :)

GreatSheElephant said...

Sounds like flu. You'll be fine in about 3 days but sorry you feel wretched now.

Seriously though, what IS strep throat? Why do Americans always get strep throat while the British only get sore throats?

Mr Farty said...

GSE - Even I know strep = strepta, er...
streptococcus: spherical Gram-positive bacteria occurring in pairs or chains; cause e.g. scarlet fever and tonsillitis

CB - Sounds like flu. If you're not already over the worst of it, call a doctor.

xx

Valerie said...

I agree with lawyerina. If it continues, hop into the doc for a throat swab. If you need penicillin, ya need it. If not, you'll get better eventually...

Meanwhile SYMPATHIES because it sounds like no fun at all :-(

Anonymous said...

You're allergic to cats(?)

Anonymous said...

For the record, I'm Canadian. We do, however, get strep throat, too. I guess we just can't be as stoic as the British (she laughed heartily as her British husband cowered in the corner with the plague, er, the sniffiles).

Timorous Beastie said...

I'd say you've got the flu'. Hang in there. It should only last 3 or 4 days, and possibly a few snotty days after that.

Dave said...

Clearly you're allergic to cat hair.

Unknown said...

Flu, maybe. The alternative is a nasty bout of tonsilitis. Best Mate was convinced she was going to die when she got it.

Geosomin said...

Sounds like strep throat to me with a bit of flu thrown in. When I had it I couldn't even swallow water...Go get a quick throat swab test and some meds and chloroseptic spray to make your throat feel better. With meds clears up magincally in a day or two.
Sleep and be well. Try not to molest the Pirate too much. :)

The Pixy Princess said...

I'll vote for strep throat as well since the choice that you're allergic to cats seems too tragic, just when you've falled in love!

And because I want to put in my 2 cents worth on the subject:strep throat seems to be North American based because I lived 20 years in India and never once heard of anyone having anything remotely like it. Then I move here and it seems to be quite common. I didn't know what I had when I had it as well. (did that make sense?)

But, you've just decided to adopt a furry friend, so good karma is sure to come back to you soon!

Moominmama said...

Lawyerina: no fever

ez: gettin better already

GSE: i don't think it was flu. there was none of the coughing/sneezing/congestion at all. Strep throat is a particular bacterial infection. It's nasty.

Farty: see above

val: by today it was almost gone

Parrot: nope. had a cat for 18 years and never had an alergic reaction to her.

Law: you lucky canuk.

TB: it' snot the flu, dangit!

Dave: seriously, don't even joke about that.

Blonde: right now an accute tonsil flare-up is our second-fav theory. i'll give you the frontrunner in the next post.

Geo: i WOULD have got the swab done if we had access to medical care outside of normal business hours, but over here in cornwall you have to stick it out until monday.

PP: well, they've got nasty things in India that you don't have in the US of A, so all's fair in love and toxicology.