Saturday, February 2, 2008

Is This A Second Childhood, or What?

So what's the deal here?

First I test positive for parvovirus, more commonly known as Fifth Disease, which virtually all adults are assumed to have immunity from because 99 percent (Ok, I'm making that number up, but virtually everyone) gets it by the age of 6.

And, as y'all know, that seems to be directly related to my ongoing chronic illness with debilitating fatigue and joint pain.

So I mentioned a couple days ago that I had a cold and such. Well, I called my internist on Friday and talked her into talking me into not coming in for an office visit, even though my symptoms were taking a bad turn and my fever was much higher than normal. (Essentially, my norm now is running a low-grade fever. Used to be, my norm was 96.7 but since I've gotten sick, my a.m. temp is typically about 99.5 and it goes up from there.) On Friday, my 5:30 a.m. temp was 101.7. Really shoulda gone in.

Friday night was just awful, despite sleeping mostly upright because of the killer, sharp ear pain whenever I lay down. But Dr. Takano had explained to me that it was highly unusual for adults to get ear infections and went over the differences in the shapes of adult vs child eustacion (sp?) tubes.

Anyway, when my Saturday 5:30 a.m. temp was 102.6, I decided I was definitely going to see a doc. The Portland Clinic does have an urgent care but I've never been happy with my care there so I went to my favorite urgent care (which coincidentally is the same office as my husband's regular doc) and sent Scott and Ellie across the parking lot to the McDonald's that has a free playspace.

The diagnosis? Double ear infection, lyringitis, and bronchitis in its early stages. Lovely. Got myself a Z-pack and vowed that Ellie will get way more Tylenol next time she has an ear infection and we will not save it only for bedtime.

So what's the deal with my coming down with these kiddie conditions? Don't forget the Pink Eye that I'm still dealing with too!

I know people tell me I don't look my age (40, going on 41 in just over a month!), but you know, they don't bother asking for ID for me when I buy a bottle of wine so no one's mistaking me for a youngster!


1 comment:

Brittney said...

I think the correct estimate is that 55-60% of adults have immunity to parvovirus B19, but you were close! :)

(I only know that becuase I looked it up!)

I just wanted to stop by and let you know you had another reader. I found you by way of Laurie at A Chronic Dose.