breaking the mold (1-8-08)
This post was supposed to be my year end inventory. Its where I go on about how 2008 fared and where its at. The truth is Im still writing it but a funny thing happened on the way to getting it done. I started on that blog on 1/1 and got a bunch of it out but then the next day my coughing and breathing got worse. I felt lethargic and didnt even want to type a thing. I started wondering what the heck was wrong. On Saturday 1/3 it worsened still and caused me to go see a doctor. My breathing was very labored and it felt like my tubes were shrinking which is a scary thing.
In my adulthood Ive had bronchitis about 6-7 times and Ive had pneumonia once. Every time I move or do some kind of heavy cleaning job I end up with it. I assumed this was a similar thing. I could even trace when the problem seemed to start.
About 2 weeks ago on Saturday December 27th there was a very warm day where the temperature rose all day long and even hit 63 degrees around midnight. We had almost 2 feet of snow on the ground heading into that day and even though it was in the 30s again by the next afternoon nearly all the snow melted away. As it turned out my work hours were a few short for the week so I went in on that Saturday afternoon to make it up. When I was getting ready to go I went to grab my jacket but I had to stop. On a day where it was 60 degrees I couldnt wear my winter parka. I sweat in that thing when I have it on and its 30 out! So I head over to my jacket rack and look to my light old navy jacket which I hadnt had the opportunity to wear in 2 months and out the door I go.
The day was beautiful. The snow was melting and the watery remains were pouring into the streets like everyone had sprinklers on their lawns. I didnt have to watch my step for ice and lumpy terrain. I was able to walk freely and confidently. I took everything in. There were people walking their dogs, cute female joggers and people zipping by on bicycles. It was 2 days after Christmas but it felt like 2 days after Easter. It was the most pleasant walk Id had in quite some time.
As I made my way a few blocks from my house I began to catch a whiff of something awful. It was me. Well, it was not me exactly but my light jacket. It smelled like it was a few weeks past its expiration date. It was kind of a rotten smell. In the heavy breeze and with my mind focused on the visual attractions and my journey I missed it earlier. The jacket smelled foul. When I got to work I took it off and set it across the room from me and I could still kind of smell it. Then I left the room for a few minutes and came back in. It was like George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic were playing at my work it was so funky in there. As soon as they finished Bop Gun I took the jacket and threw it in a bag and sealed it shut. Im hoping I can wash that funk out of there but youre probably thinking how could I have missed something so funky in my apartment? The truth is that the jacket was hanging in a low use section of my place and also I often have some kind of air freshener or scented candle going on to provide an aroma. My place will sometimes have a mild smell of vanilla, strawberry or citrus. Its not a strong odor but apparently it was enough to cover up that jacket.
The toxic laundry was safety stored and after a few hours of work I headed home to delve further into the funk. I surveyed the corner where the jacket was hanging and found the source of it all; my gym bag. Back in November when I was playing on my football team we had a doubleheader on a rainy nasty Saturday. The bag and I spent over 3 hours in pouring rain. I was out there playing in 2 games but the bag was basically a water collector. To make a story shorter, when I got home the bag got tossed into a corner and may not have been allowed to dry completely. When I inspected the bag and the area I discovered a palm sized patch of mold on the base of the wall and what was hanging a few feet above that mold thats right, the jacket.
Inhaling that moldy jacket for half an hour 12 days ago was not pleasant but after a handful of days it became something much worse. It became a problem. It became a problem so bad that 6 days ago I had to go see a doctor due to my deteriorating breathing capability. After some tests it was deemed reactive airway. Its basically a mild form of asthma brought on by viral or bacterial factors. In my case the mold polluted and infected my respiratory system causing it to get irritated and swell. Swollen sinus, swollen uvula and swollen tubes equal great breathing discomfort and the first thing Ive had that reminded me somewhat of the pneumonia I had in 1995.
Monday and Tuesday this week were absolutely brutal. I was ready to go back to the doctor again and tell him that his diagnosis was off and that it had to be something else because I wasnt getting better. On Tuesday I actually left work after half a day I was feeling so bad. Yesterday I went into work thinking that I would go to the doctor on the way home. The prescription the doctor gave me was about to expire and I was feeling worse, it didnt make sense.
Then suddenly around 4pm yesterday my sinuses began to re-open. In a ten minute period all my sinus pressure and restriction subsided. It was like I could breathe again. Since then things have improved. My throat and upper chest are still a little scratchy and wheezy but I feel almost normal again, hell Im typing for the first time in many days so something is definitely different. Im hoping that in a few more days Ill be as good as new and possibly ready to play basketball on Sunday (I had to miss last week). Well see.
I sometimes get accused of overreacting when in the presence of cigarette smoke or dust. I might freak out a little and look to get the heck away. People think Im overdoing it or making something out of nothing. Now do you believe me? By the way we can now add mold to smoke and dust. When you have an easily irritable respiratory system you can never be too careful.
This post was supposed to be my year end inventory. Its where I go on about how 2008 fared and where its at. The truth is Im still writing it but a funny thing happened on the way to getting it done. I started on that blog on 1/1 and got a bunch of it out but then the next day my coughing and breathing got worse. I felt lethargic and didnt even want to type a thing. I started wondering what the heck was wrong. On Saturday 1/3 it worsened still and caused me to go see a doctor. My breathing was very labored and it felt like my tubes were shrinking which is a scary thing.
In my adulthood Ive had bronchitis about 6-7 times and Ive had pneumonia once. Every time I move or do some kind of heavy cleaning job I end up with it. I assumed this was a similar thing. I could even trace when the problem seemed to start.
About 2 weeks ago on Saturday December 27th there was a very warm day where the temperature rose all day long and even hit 63 degrees around midnight. We had almost 2 feet of snow on the ground heading into that day and even though it was in the 30s again by the next afternoon nearly all the snow melted away. As it turned out my work hours were a few short for the week so I went in on that Saturday afternoon to make it up. When I was getting ready to go I went to grab my jacket but I had to stop. On a day where it was 60 degrees I couldnt wear my winter parka. I sweat in that thing when I have it on and its 30 out! So I head over to my jacket rack and look to my light old navy jacket which I hadnt had the opportunity to wear in 2 months and out the door I go.
The day was beautiful. The snow was melting and the watery remains were pouring into the streets like everyone had sprinklers on their lawns. I didnt have to watch my step for ice and lumpy terrain. I was able to walk freely and confidently. I took everything in. There were people walking their dogs, cute female joggers and people zipping by on bicycles. It was 2 days after Christmas but it felt like 2 days after Easter. It was the most pleasant walk Id had in quite some time.
As I made my way a few blocks from my house I began to catch a whiff of something awful. It was me. Well, it was not me exactly but my light jacket. It smelled like it was a few weeks past its expiration date. It was kind of a rotten smell. In the heavy breeze and with my mind focused on the visual attractions and my journey I missed it earlier. The jacket smelled foul. When I got to work I took it off and set it across the room from me and I could still kind of smell it. Then I left the room for a few minutes and came back in. It was like George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic were playing at my work it was so funky in there. As soon as they finished Bop Gun I took the jacket and threw it in a bag and sealed it shut. Im hoping I can wash that funk out of there but youre probably thinking how could I have missed something so funky in my apartment? The truth is that the jacket was hanging in a low use section of my place and also I often have some kind of air freshener or scented candle going on to provide an aroma. My place will sometimes have a mild smell of vanilla, strawberry or citrus. Its not a strong odor but apparently it was enough to cover up that jacket.
The toxic laundry was safety stored and after a few hours of work I headed home to delve further into the funk. I surveyed the corner where the jacket was hanging and found the source of it all; my gym bag. Back in November when I was playing on my football team we had a doubleheader on a rainy nasty Saturday. The bag and I spent over 3 hours in pouring rain. I was out there playing in 2 games but the bag was basically a water collector. To make a story shorter, when I got home the bag got tossed into a corner and may not have been allowed to dry completely. When I inspected the bag and the area I discovered a palm sized patch of mold on the base of the wall and what was hanging a few feet above that mold thats right, the jacket.
Inhaling that moldy jacket for half an hour 12 days ago was not pleasant but after a handful of days it became something much worse. It became a problem. It became a problem so bad that 6 days ago I had to go see a doctor due to my deteriorating breathing capability. After some tests it was deemed reactive airway. Its basically a mild form of asthma brought on by viral or bacterial factors. In my case the mold polluted and infected my respiratory system causing it to get irritated and swell. Swollen sinus, swollen uvula and swollen tubes equal great breathing discomfort and the first thing Ive had that reminded me somewhat of the pneumonia I had in 1995.
Monday and Tuesday this week were absolutely brutal. I was ready to go back to the doctor again and tell him that his diagnosis was off and that it had to be something else because I wasnt getting better. On Tuesday I actually left work after half a day I was feeling so bad. Yesterday I went into work thinking that I would go to the doctor on the way home. The prescription the doctor gave me was about to expire and I was feeling worse, it didnt make sense.
Then suddenly around 4pm yesterday my sinuses began to re-open. In a ten minute period all my sinus pressure and restriction subsided. It was like I could breathe again. Since then things have improved. My throat and upper chest are still a little scratchy and wheezy but I feel almost normal again, hell Im typing for the first time in many days so something is definitely different. Im hoping that in a few more days Ill be as good as new and possibly ready to play basketball on Sunday (I had to miss last week). Well see.
I sometimes get accused of overreacting when in the presence of cigarette smoke or dust. I might freak out a little and look to get the heck away. People think Im overdoing it or making something out of nothing. Now do you believe me? By the way we can now add mold to smoke and dust. When you have an easily irritable respiratory system you can never be too careful.
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Thanks tho *HUGS*