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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Monday, June 17, 2024

Down But Not Out

Following my rather cryptic post on Friday, I thought I should give you a more detailed explanation of my illness. A few weeks ago, I had a summer cold with the usual symptoms. I thought it was gone but it wasn't. It reared its ugly head during more intense bouts of cardiovascular exercise with lots of coughing and a little trouble breathing. Thursday night, it let me know that it, and not I was in charge.

I had just finished a hard ride on the Tatamy Trail (14.4 miles) with my grandson. I actually finished slightly ahead of him and was quite pleased with myself. But after dinner, I began experiencing more than the usual body aches that an old geezer like me suffers. I figured that the best remedy for that was a 2-mile cooldown walk with Mason, a seeing eye dog with the kind soul of a saint. Unfortunately, I now began experiencing chills, fever and fatigues in addition to the body aches. I finally realized I was sick. 

After finishing the walk, I decided to sleep. I slept all night Thursday, although I was interrupted by frequent bouts of coughing. Ditto Friday, Friday night and Saturday. On Saturday night, the fever finally broke. For some reason, I was certain it was Covid. After the fever broke, I took the COVID test several times, and it was negative. It is just a summer cold. But it's the summer cold that refuses to go away. 

This is likely my own fault. Instead of resting when I first realized I was sick, I continued pushing. This sounds silly, but I had burned at least 500 calories a day with exercise over the past 355 days. I often doubled that goal, which is easy to do on a hard bike ride combined with walking and a little running here and there. 

I believe my reward for my efforts is bronchitis. Since this is usually viral, antibiotics are ineffective, and I've been avoiding them for years anyway. 

I know I am still sick but feel much better than I did on Thursday night and am on the mend. I expect to be walking in a day or two and riding again a few days after that. 

I admit that I am the main cause of my most recent illness. I would much prefer to go tets up on a trail than in my bed, but I don't get to choose how I die. As my brother sagely observed, "We all have expiration dates." 

I loved the comments on Friday.

"Swine flu?" asked one reader. Another was rooting for COVID.  A third called it "Skyline's Revenge" for my posts critical of the TIF for Wilson Borough's Dixie Cup. Someone joked I got sick because I rode with a Republican on Wednesday. 

I plan to return to where I was before I was rudely interrupted on Thursday night with yet another Dixie story on Tuesday. 

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bernie - In all seriousness, go see your doctor. Today.

It might be all as you say, but it sounds like whatever you have has been hanging on you for a while.

This is where doctors earn their money. Take advantage of their experience.

Anonymous said...

Hang in there BO. If you don't get well see if McClure will give you a free no cost pass to go to his McClure eHealth Center.

Anonymous said...

Some think you are too mean to die. Obvious jealousy. Stay well and keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, you apparently are many things to many people (lol) but a healthcare professional to yourself you are not. You are correct about the usual path of bronchitis but again, you’ve self diagnosed on this illness. Maybe get “checked” out if you aren’t on the mend in a few days (or sooner). Sounds as though the body is trying to tell you something. Perhaps listen. Be well, Bernie.

Anonymous said...

I hate this phrase, yet I'm going to post it myself. "There's definitely something going around". My wife, daughter and me contracted what you have, too; Cough, low grade fever, sore throat. They got over it after a week. My immune system is compromised and I couldn't get rid of it. Went to doctor, tested me for the regular infections. Tested negative for everything. He put me on steroids and cough medicine with codeine. Felt great after finishing the steroids, then this past weekend, the symptoms came back. I polished off the cough medicine and using Tylenol and sore throat spray.

I have three lung conditions, so I also use an inhaler and nebulizer to assist with breathing. This upcoming weather isn't going to help much. Stay indoors with air conditioning and stay hydrated.

We need your snarkiness.

Anonymous said...

Admit you weren't masking. Reckless.

Anonymous said...

Just get better. I had those symptoms for 2 months in October, November, December. 2 doctor visits a chest xray.Nothing they could do. I actually couldn't get any meaningful sleep for weeks. In all my life I never was sick that long or bad.

Anonymous said...

I thought it was an unavoidable contact with “kriptonite”. (If you get the hidden meaning)

Anonymous said...

You are sick in the head !

Anonymous said...

I’m pushing 60. I workout hard, but I have learned 30 and 60 are two different things. I take a couple days off a week and vary intensity days. Old bones need time to rest and recover. Feel better soon!

gruntled said...

Bernie - Surely you know that now it's time to set up somebody to do a guest fill-in for you when necessary. I suggest Munsey or Geissinger...n'yuk, n'yuk.

Anonymous said...

Probably all of those shots you took. Kansas AG just sued Pfizer over fake vaccines. The details are stunning. Pfizer's CEO is going to spend his retirement in jail. They sought to avoid oversight and now he's going to pay. Feel better. But you'd be the first to deny funding to study the consequences and graft behind those shots you so loved. Right?

Anonymous said...

Bernie, Hope you feel better. When you are better here is a story you might want to have a blog post about.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/06/16/rachel-morin-suspect-arrested-maryland-immigration/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/rachel-morin-murder-illegal-immigrant-214707761.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADgm3uA7KTyMUPnkprqW5bU_HpLp1raD4yz3gEkg_BNqRHraZ4-J0_70-IMoxEKk1yj1mfUjFXE-_DCDwcT8fSjFnap5e6K9KTbcbi3CCH6YT3z_eoKU9AIt5wK53dhJEM7WpuCfMJre2fOZCCy3QT7DT6op6SQZyjHOUpEomg7Q

Anonymous said...

It must be bad, they avoid the codeine prescriptions now. It used to be automatic.

Anonymous said...

What about Sultana?

Anonymous said...

Good one!🤣

Councilman Ed Zucal said...

Get better Sir.

Ovem Lupo Commitere said...

Glad you're on the mend. Different, but I had a cough that would not go away for several months that turned out to be cough variant asthma. Allergy meds didn't really move the dial. Finally saw an allergist who tried an inhaler, which did the trick. Never an issue in younger days, but ... anyway, glad you're back.