Sometimes it doesn't pay to wait

My co-worker, Mike, and I at TNC's River Jam Tent at the US National Whitewater Center - June 2012

Hello loyal readers!

It has been some time since I felt inspired to write, and you know what that means. Time for a quick run-down of what has been going on!

The big(ish) news is that I am currently on a 2-week course of IV antibiotics. I had not been feeling spectacular for a while (more congested, coughing more than usual...) for a while, but I was totally hanging in thanks to exercising a lot and my trusty stop-coughing go-to pills, guaifenesen. The cards really started to fall the week that I had a grant writing workshop in Greensboro mid-June - I was feeling super tired and run-down. I got started on some oral antibiotics which worked really well for a week or so when I went to see my doctor.

At that time, my numbers were a hair below what they were last time, which was also a little lower than they had been the time before that. My real concerns were my energy dropping and also that I have two awesome vacations coming up that I want to be in tip-top shape for. So we went for the IV antibiotics. And I knew right away that I had made the right decision. (And, for the record, Todd knew like three weeks before then that it was time for IVs soon.)

The day after I started on them I felt really horrible: tired, achy, malaise, fever, no appetite. But since then, things have been going along pretty well. I haven't had any trouble with the Tobra (I had some tinnitus the last couple of times I was on it, which can correspond to hearing loss) except that they had to increase my dose because my levels were too low.

But the really weird thing about all of this? Unlike every other time I've been on IVs when I would totally beat myself up about missing work and always be trying to do more than I should, I have been totally enjoying my time off! I feel kind of guilty saying that. But who wouldn't love an unexpected 2-week vacation? Of course it's not all fun, but largely I have slowed down and taken time for myself to heal. And it feels really nice.

Image taken from sodahead.com

In other news:

• I am finished with my PT for my herniated disc/sciatica! And I leave there having a solid set of exercises that work really well to control my symptoms. Still have not gotten back to yoga - that is the next step. Also still doing monthly acupuncture and weekly massage (which is absolutely fantastically awesomely paid for by my insurance.)
• Todd's dad has been staying with us a lot lately - he is getting cancer treatment here in Raleigh and lives several hours away. He started chemo (for the second time) recently and he's having a bit of a rough time of it. His health has been really up and down, and it's hard on all of us. Especially him. All of us are focused on our trip to Montana right now.
• I got out with Elaine to sell some soap last First Friday! We sold it at a friend of our's bar. I know it sounds weird, it kind of is, but it's fun. 
• Super excited about going to the beach with my family during the third week of July. And also  for our Montana trip in August!
• Work is going really well. I have an intern! Who is both awesome and really talented. This is my first time really managing somebody and I really like it. Also, I was doing a bit of traveling in June and July - two trips to Charlotte and then Greensboro for the grant writing class. It was nice to get away.
• Probably not news to any of you that the weather here has been brutally hot! We just broke the record for the number of days in a row over 100. Between that and the holiday last week, it's as good a time as any to be missing work and just laying low at home.

Image taken from kbosweeney.wordpress.com