Flu

I can’t remember the last time I was this sick.

I had strep throat in high school and missed Mike Miller’s holiday party. Then, thirty years ago, I had the flu and couldn’t get out of bed to make my daughter’s lunch for school. And about five years ago I had a bad case of bronchitis. There may have been a cold, or a non-memorable something-or-other in between, but basically, my health is something I could count on.

Now is different, of course. I've been taking a mix of very toxic drugs ever since last June. My immune system is compromised and can't fend off the germs that would have had little impact in the past. Since Saturday afternoon I’ve had fever as high as 103.5, a deep, painful cough, and I ache all over. My doctor started me on antibiotics, so I’m hoping the fever is gone by tomorrow.

In the meantime, I sleep a lot.