Symptom Decathalon

[marcmagus]

Ok, this illness is starting to confuse me. I'm still pretty sure it's just a relatively minor viral infection, but I feel like it's competing in the symptom decathalon, one event per day, in my body.

Yesterday, as anybody who saw me knows, was the severe sore throat/partial voice loss. Today appears to be stuffed nose and productive cough. I seem to recall Friday was tenderness in the neck and general tiredness, and Thursday was something like slight feverishness.

This is getting silly.

Comments

[cinediva.livejournal.com]

That's what I had last week! From Sunday to Wednesday - I finally kicked it on Wednesday by staying in bed until 1 PM. The extra sleep seemed to be what did it. Oh, and Sudafed.

[jhadania.livejournal.com]

Makes perfect sense.

First, your body tries to fight the virus by raising its temp. It didn't work, and the virus overwhelmed your immune system. The virus took up residence in your cervical lymph nodes and multiplied, causing them to swell and ache. You felt exhausted because your body was losing its battle. The virus extended its reach to your throat (probably the place of initial infection, as this seems to be a URI -- upper respiratory infection). As a defense mechanism, your body began overproducing mucus to coat your raw throat and also to try to carry the virus out of the body, hence the sniffling, blowing and productive coughing symtpoms.

You do indeed have a virus.

If you fun a high fever (say, 102 or more), or one that 1000mg of Tylenol won't break, or if your mucus turns evil shades of green, or if this lasts more than 7 days, or if you find that you can't move your chin to your chest without *excruciating* pain, get to an MD posthaste.

***disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. These are opinions based on microbiology and nursing classes. For real medical opinions and diagnoses, go to an MD***

[marcmagus]

*laugh* Thanks. It's nice to have a picture of what's going on behind the scenes, as it were.

[jhadania.livejournal.com]

Oh, I forgot to mention... Feel better soon!
*hugs*

[shield-toad111.livejournal.com]

at least it's one symptom at a time instead of all at once. that way, you're only kind of sick for an extended period of time instead of really sick for a lesser period of time.

[marcmagus]

I'm not sure that's a good thing. A week of whininess, minor discomfort, and not really wanting to deal with anything vs. a day of feeling truly awful, whininess, and not being able to deal with anything? At least the day is over with quickly.