One Final Addition

My (so grateful for her!) doctor had mentioned that if my cough didn't significantly improve on the antibiotics that she could prescribe an inhaler to help ease things a bit more.

I think it was Tuesday by the time I figured that while I was certainly no longer sickly sick sick, my cough was rather stuck and the worst part about that that while sitting on a couch under blankets was fine, trying to move (go for a walk) and most importantly trying to talk would result in coughing spells.

I'm sure there are some jobs where you don't need to talk much (solitary type jobs?) but that's not the case for me and I couldn't see being able to properly do my job for who knows how much longer with this cough attack every time I tried to converse.  So... I asked for the inhaler (even though I wasn't really wanting to... I figured I could get it and not use it worst case?)

Now this isn't important to the story, but we got a cold snap and snow this week.  Which put my now worried brain into a little bit of a predicament.

My doctor called in the prescription for this inhaler on the morning of the day we got the worst of the snow (even though it wasn't ALL that much in parts of town it was enough to cause issues, especially with frozen stuff under it... as often happens here) with calls of more snow the next day as well as freezing temperatures not letting things melt off.

I eyeballed the roads all day and by mid afternoon I was like you know what?  I'm going to give this a go.  I figured enough people had been around and about and the temps were maybe above freezing and it would probably be fine.  Except for that big hill I have to go up and down to get to my pharmacy but, yeah, I'll give this a go.... worst case, uh, I get stuck?  Or uh oh double worst case I hit something AND get stuck.  Ugh.  I got quite anxious about it, which is never a good way to drive and as I was heading out the door I texted Jason "well I'm going to give it a try, hope it's not dumb of me?" and he was like welll, why don't I throw some clothes on and take you.  Well, ok sure.

That feels maybe a bit wimpy for me but also why turn down an offer of help, plus human company! (That I've not had in weeks!!!! - I wore a mask just in case.)  Long story short I likely would have been fine but Jason in his "I grew up in Alberta" (translation - I can actually drive in this stuff) and "have a 4x4 with winter tires" still got stuck a couple of times, and had that been me?  Not sure I would have been able to finesse my way out of that.  Also, on the way back to my place he was trying to show me what "black ice" looks like (what I think of as wet road he sees as black ice when the temps are under 0... fair enough) and then we got to the road near my place and I was like "THAT, that's... hey... wait... is that ICE?" And yes, sure enough, there was about half a block of (side) road near me that was actual ice.  Like not compacted snow, not melted ice now freezing but ACTUAL ice cube looking ice on top of the road.  Damn! So just safer that he offered to help.  And appreciated.  I'd probably have been fine but there were a good few spots I might not have been and in the state I'm in, dealing with potential snow based problems did not seem like fun!

So anyway, I got a type of inhaler that's not a steroid (which is what I had expected) and after learning how to use it (hopefully properly) I got home and had a puff and yeah, it helped.  Like pretty suddenly there was no longer an urge to cough.  Aaaaah nice.  And then when I did cough it was different.  More productive (ew?) and less lengthy... like a cough or two rather than ten or twenty.

It didn't last hours and hours, and when I went to bed I chose not to have another puff (I'm to have 2-3 a day as needed and I don't want to get hooked on it or anything, not that that's even necessarily a risk, I dunno???) and coughed the regular amount.  (But once I'm asleep these last few days I haven't been waking to cough.... knock on wood.)  The next morning I was trying to do my light exercise and started hacking and so was like ok time for a puff and yeah it helps.

So yes, miracles of modern medicine indeed.  Very grateful for them and for having access to a doctor who will prescribe them and having coverage to help pay for them.  Grateful all round for sure.  Cold meds, antibiotics, an inhaler, a neti pot and some steam (when I remember to do it) inhalation have gotten me through this.  Really hoping I'm almost through too!  Would love to get back to more normal life and health.