Health Update
So I just returned from Cambridge Hospital's walk-in clinic. (I usually use Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates because they're right in Davis Square and have a bunch of different services in one building and take my health insurance, but apparently they only do primary care during the week and walk-in only on weekends and holidays.) This doctor's diagnosis was that it's not a cold, but something equally benign: seasonal allergies. Evil mutant seasonal allergies of doom, but still just seasonal allergies. *sigh of relief* At least I know how to deal with that, annoying and long-lasting though it may be.
I've experienced seasonal allergies before, every year for most of my life in fact, but had not considered the possibility and so wanted to check it out with a doctor for a few reasons: 1.) I usually get allergies in very late spring and summer, not this time of year, and 2.) the symptoms are usually much milder and do not include the main symptom I'm currently experiencing; heavy coughing. But apparently, when the weather decides to go all crazy-ass and be 80 one day and 40 the next, seasonal allergies also go all crazy-ass; people get allergic symptoms that usually they only get in the summer (well I suppose this makes sense, considering it essentially was summer for a few days there), the symptoms may up to double in severity (about accurate for me), and entirely new symptoms (like my cough) may occur.
The good news, in addition to what I already said about knowing how to deal with allergies, is that I'm in no way contagious. Also while I may feel like crap now, I should feel better as soon as the weather settles down to a more consistent temperature for awhile. Which of course, I live in New England and there's global warming and all that, so it's anyone's guess when and if that'll happen...but in the meantime I have my neti pot, Zyrtec, Robitussin, tissues, cough drops, and the comfort of knowing that I'm not dying.
I've experienced seasonal allergies before, every year for most of my life in fact, but had not considered the possibility and so wanted to check it out with a doctor for a few reasons: 1.) I usually get allergies in very late spring and summer, not this time of year, and 2.) the symptoms are usually much milder and do not include the main symptom I'm currently experiencing; heavy coughing. But apparently, when the weather decides to go all crazy-ass and be 80 one day and 40 the next, seasonal allergies also go all crazy-ass; people get allergic symptoms that usually they only get in the summer (well I suppose this makes sense, considering it essentially was summer for a few days there), the symptoms may up to double in severity (about accurate for me), and entirely new symptoms (like my cough) may occur.
The good news, in addition to what I already said about knowing how to deal with allergies, is that I'm in no way contagious. Also while I may feel like crap now, I should feel better as soon as the weather settles down to a more consistent temperature for awhile. Which of course, I live in New England and there's global warming and all that, so it's anyone's guess when and if that'll happen...but in the meantime I have my neti pot, Zyrtec, Robitussin, tissues, cough drops, and the comfort of knowing that I'm not dying.