Pneumonia with a side of Sinus Infection

I was planning to continue with Part 2 of my story this week.  At the very least, I was hoping to get a post up about something interesting or funny or full of whimsy (actually the last is total BS, whimsy isn't really my thing).  Instead, I have been reduced to this:

Ever since the December holidays, someone in my family has been sick.  SICK SICK SICK.  It's sickening how sick we've been.  Come January, I too fell ill.  Happily, after a first round of antibiotics and nasal sprays, I was On The Mend.  But I still had this funny little rattle in my left lung.  All breathing tests pointed to better, however, so I was sent home with a reminder to return in a couple of weeks, "Just to make sure."

I was doing ok, regaining my energy, finally conquering the enormous mess that had been left for me by my loving husband and children...but then this past weekend, things took a turn for the worse.  The biggest tip-off that my health was not progressing as it should be was that I lost my voice.  Now, for those who know me this is BIG TROUBLE.  You see, I am quite a talker, sometimes a singer and also a laugher.  And, truth be told, I am occasionally a shouter when all else fails to penetrate the skulls of my delightful (but sometimes deaf) children.  And by "occasionally" I mean on every occasion that calls for it, (which is far more often than I would like).

In this case, no voice for Upsidedown was the calm before the storm.

Yesterday was day three of being vocally challenged with increasing bouts of coughing,  a perpetual head-ache and a wheeze.  I packed myself back off to the doctor.  She was not pleased with what she saw or heard.  I think she was particularly disgusted with my whispered (no voice) description of my personal brand of lung butter: green with a consistency between rubber cement and paste.  She ordered me off for xrays:  one of the lungs, one of the sinuses.

+

Sure enough, I have pneumonia and a sinus infection.  This really bums me out.

Hallelujah for the blog, however.  For even with no voice, a hideous diagnosis and relegation to bed, the powers that be still haven't managed to shut me up.  Due to my forced silence, I have turned to you, my unfortunate readers, to spread the word of my illness.  Aren't you lucky?  I promise not to breathe on you.