Too sick to ride :(

[warneral]

I've had a cough for 3 weeks. First the NP I saw at urgent care thought it was asthma. So they dosed me up on steroids (prednisone & flovent + albuterol). A week later, the doctor said "Allergies" so 3 weeks of prednisone, flonase, flovent, albuterol + benzonatate (cough pill). I also started taking zyrtec too.

None of it helped and last night I went back in b/c I've coughed so much my ribcage muscles are spasming!

This PA said it could be pnemonia or pertussis (whooping cough). Chest xray was clear. But after all those steroids, it HAS to be something other than allergies. So now I'm trying to slowly ramp down the Prednisone and also am on z-pack antibiotics.

Banned from my workplace for 5 days or if the state swab shows I'm negative for pertussis.

And I stopped riding b/c it would zap every last ounce of energy I had

My DH bought me my dream bike. It's supposed to be ready Friday. I don't know if I can even go in! I will have to be done coughing or have heard back from the state that it is negative for pertussis or I will have to cancel my fitting. I wouldn't want to spread it to the bike guys.

Wah! My sister (a pediatrician) said that if it is whooping cough, even with antibiotics, it can take 6-10 weeks to recover. I may just be out for the rest of the year at this point.....

So that is my ultimate whine. I really just want to feel better and get back on my bike. And be a better mom, and get more productive at work.... but mostly want to get on my new bike and rideeeeee!

[malkin]

Bummer!

Wishing you a speedy recovery and a break from coughing.
I've known a couple people with pertussis who didn't feel very sick. Maybe you'll be banished from work, and feel ok, stuck with that new dream bike and nothing to do but ride...

[Crankin]

DS #1 had pertussis when he was 14. We spent 3-4 weeks thinking it was allergies, when it got suddenly worse; I had to go into the bathroom when he was in the shower, as he had a spasm and "whooping" and I really thought he was going to die. Needless to say, no 14 year old boy wants his mother coming into the shower with him, but he was so sick, he didn't care. He looked pale and sickly for about 8 weeks after taking the antibiotics. In retrospect, he got this at camp from someone who said he had "bronchitis." He wasn't better until Thanksgiving or so.
But pertussis is a particular type of cough. Have you had the "whooping" sound? DS sounded like a barking seal.

[warneral]

I haven't had the barking but they say only 20% of adults "whoop". I should know Friday or Monday if this is what it is. I hope not b/c I had been going around my normal life (even in church nursery) since I had been told by 2 practitioners that it was just allergies.

I feel a teensy bit better this morning. I can't wait to wean off these steroids. I feel so jumpy!!

Thanks for listening to my whining last night. I was feeling desparate. I really don't think I can ride for a while. I had been up until last Saturday but it really depleted my energy and I would cough worse afterwards.

[OakLeaf]

Wow, whatever it is, hope it clears up soon.

You're right to stay off the bike. Years ago I had a plain old garden variety sinus infection for 11 weeks and who knows how many rounds of antibiotics, all because I wouldn't stay off the bike. I finally had to take a week not only off the bike, but off work, before I got better.

It's frustrating I know, especially with a new bike on the way, but do rest.

[warneral]

I'm still sick. Haven't been riding much in weeks. I did 10 miles a few times but even that was difficult. I didn't end up haing whooping cough but I do currently have Pleurisy which is a painful chest due to 5 weeks of coughing. I'm so bummed b/c we are having an unusually beautiful indian summer.