I thank you all for your concern, but please rest easily.
I was thoroughly tested, probed and examined.
The good news is that there is no pneumonia or any type of infection
The bad news is that the diagnosis is "A Severe Cold", primarily in my chest, complicated by excessive coughing and respiratory distress. Because I do not have prolonged fever or body aches, I am told I must endure it and make myself as comfortable as possible. Because the CDC has warned all health care agencies about overuse of antibiotics, drugs they might have prescribed for me a year ago that could have shortened the duration can no longer be prescribed. If the X-Rays had raised any alarms, of course, the outcome would have been different.
I am relieved to know that I have not been remiss in my own self-medicating and that I did not wait too long to seek medical attention.
Because my chief complaint has been respiratory distress during/after my coughing bouts, followed by exhaustion and some sweating and breathlessness, the doctor told me he could offer me one of two cough medications. One was with codeine, which I refused. Codeine makes me nauseous.
The other is benzonatate, which the doctor said is a bit unorthodox for such colds but very effective against my chief complaint. Benzonatate is a small clear capsule that looks like a bead. Its function is to mask all the irritants that cause the frequent coughing bouts. I take two capsules every eight hours. Side effects are dry mouth, possibly dizziness, and other irritating things that have not happened to me since I took my first dose three hours ago.
The beauty part is that it works. Not only does it decrease my need to cough, but it allows me to breathe deeply without coughing, something that wasn't happening.
I was so tired when I got home that I took my first dose and hit my bed for a nap. I am now more refreshed than I've been since before the cold set in.
Thanks all for the concerns. Tomorrow I will stay home and just rest and try to help this thing play out.
