I'm Not Dead (Mostly)
Jun. 19th, 2007 12:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vianegativaIt's been awhile, hasn't it?
Well, in the interest of keeping my friends informed I should share that it has been a busy, very unfun month so far.
Earlier this month I had an infected hair move from being a minor nuisance into a major threat; after working outside in the yard the little mar in my vanity became an infection point for cellulitis, and worse than that, it was cellulitis driven by MRSA. For those of you not in the health field, MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a nasty little bug that has picked up an immunity to a great number of antibiotics on the market today.
On Monday I had an ingrown hair that was an annoying bump just on the side of my chest. On Tuesday morning I had an infection that was taking over an inch of my chest per hour and giving me one hell of a fever. Needless to say, I went directly into the hospital after seeing my doctor and was in an isolation ward until Friday of that week. I was pumped so full of vancomycin that my veins started to collapse. After a LOVELY stay at St. Joseph's in Chicago, where they had pumped me so full of morphine to counter the pain that I felt I was a cartoon character, I was out the door & back into sunlight. Mind you I had a hole in my chest the size of a quarter, but I was free to go.
After two weeks of bandages and still more antibiotics I'm hale & hearty, but an overall concern was raised. I've been in the hospital more in the past two months than I have been in 34 years and it scared the hell out of me. In gay circles a "compromised immune system" usually means only one thing and the thought of that particular microscopic visitor scares the bejeeezus out of me. I had every test known to man run on me, all with negative results. No cancer, diabetes, HIV or any other major malady. I spoke with the good Dr. Klarquist who clued me in on the fact that my stress level has, yet again, laid me out cold for pnuemonia or any other bug I chance upon. So to the few spiteful shits out there who read my journal, sorry. My lingering painful death isn't on the horizon just yet.
See, I have the conceit that I'm indestructible, and that leads me to do some stupid things, like not sleep for 36 hours at a time and not use my CPAP for months at a time, as well as eating poorly, taking on too many projects, etc. Both my guys and my doctor have asked me to slow down, and to that effect I'm going to be withdrawing from summer school, exercising a bit more & trying to live right. I hate being reminded that I have limits, but I'm made painfully aware of them by my body as of late. The pnuemonia was my fault for toughing through a cold I *knew* was serious just to maintain some stupid male bravado and the staph infection just reminded me I could be taken down like *that* if I don't take care of myself.
So, I'm feeling better and trying to adjust my pace a bit to a more relaxing lifestyle. I still want to do work & school full time, as well as maintain my relationships with friends and boyfriends and run 27 games at once, but I am told that may be unrealistic, so change I must.
Perhaps I need to take up smoking weed a bit more. Who knows?
Other than that, life is rocking. I should hope everybody feels the love & support I get from all sides.
I just need to slow down & appreciate it is all.
Well, in the interest of keeping my friends informed I should share that it has been a busy, very unfun month so far.
Earlier this month I had an infected hair move from being a minor nuisance into a major threat; after working outside in the yard the little mar in my vanity became an infection point for cellulitis, and worse than that, it was cellulitis driven by MRSA. For those of you not in the health field, MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a nasty little bug that has picked up an immunity to a great number of antibiotics on the market today.
On Monday I had an ingrown hair that was an annoying bump just on the side of my chest. On Tuesday morning I had an infection that was taking over an inch of my chest per hour and giving me one hell of a fever. Needless to say, I went directly into the hospital after seeing my doctor and was in an isolation ward until Friday of that week. I was pumped so full of vancomycin that my veins started to collapse. After a LOVELY stay at St. Joseph's in Chicago, where they had pumped me so full of morphine to counter the pain that I felt I was a cartoon character, I was out the door & back into sunlight. Mind you I had a hole in my chest the size of a quarter, but I was free to go.
After two weeks of bandages and still more antibiotics I'm hale & hearty, but an overall concern was raised. I've been in the hospital more in the past two months than I have been in 34 years and it scared the hell out of me. In gay circles a "compromised immune system" usually means only one thing and the thought of that particular microscopic visitor scares the bejeeezus out of me. I had every test known to man run on me, all with negative results. No cancer, diabetes, HIV or any other major malady. I spoke with the good Dr. Klarquist who clued me in on the fact that my stress level has, yet again, laid me out cold for pnuemonia or any other bug I chance upon. So to the few spiteful shits out there who read my journal, sorry. My lingering painful death isn't on the horizon just yet.
See, I have the conceit that I'm indestructible, and that leads me to do some stupid things, like not sleep for 36 hours at a time and not use my CPAP for months at a time, as well as eating poorly, taking on too many projects, etc. Both my guys and my doctor have asked me to slow down, and to that effect I'm going to be withdrawing from summer school, exercising a bit more & trying to live right. I hate being reminded that I have limits, but I'm made painfully aware of them by my body as of late. The pnuemonia was my fault for toughing through a cold I *knew* was serious just to maintain some stupid male bravado and the staph infection just reminded me I could be taken down like *that* if I don't take care of myself.
So, I'm feeling better and trying to adjust my pace a bit to a more relaxing lifestyle. I still want to do work & school full time, as well as maintain my relationships with friends and boyfriends and run 27 games at once, but I am told that may be unrealistic, so change I must.
Perhaps I need to take up smoking weed a bit more. Who knows?
Other than that, life is rocking. I should hope everybody feels the love & support I get from all sides.
I just need to slow down & appreciate it is all.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 05:45 pm (UTC)Sorry to hear bout that shit going on... but on the upside, my oncoming tonsillectomy seems like a walk in a park of sugar bunnies and sugar flowers now ;)
*hugs*
And yes, maybe weed might be good for ya :)
no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:07 pm (UTC)*smile*
no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:21 pm (UTC)I swear.
*HUG*
Please be careful.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 10:31 pm (UTC)BTW, I'm on WoW now. On Stormscale, Garona & Venture Co.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:29 pm (UTC)And, yeah - "Stop and hit the bong" sounds like more fun than "Stop and smell the roses", and the first may help cause the second. :-}}}}
no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 07:37 pm (UTC)i hate mortality in people i like. the rest of the world can fuck right off. you don't get to die til we've had a beer together. k?
no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 10:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 08:15 pm (UTC)Have a joint right next to me in the drawer just give me a call and we both fly *lol*
Take care!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 10:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-19 10:51 pm (UTC)I'm heading home to Vermont tomorrow for a few days, but call me again soon.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-20 01:05 am (UTC)And hope you can take it down from Super Turbo 500 to, say, Medium. Your body will appreciate it.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-20 03:19 am (UTC)*HUGS*
Chuck