My Pneumonia Adventure

The last several weeks have been full of lives distractions. I'm all for a change every once in a while but it didn't seem like we had any sort of routine going, it was a tad bit overwhelming. The biggest downer was me getting sick. First I thought I had the flu, I had all of the symptoms but around the 3rd day I began getting this really bad cough & it was making it impossible for me to sleep. Fever was high & body aches ravaged through my body day & night. I decided to see my doctor, mainly to see if he could give me anything to help me sleep. He sent me home with Tamiflu, Benzonatate (to help control the urge to cough) & some cough syrup with codeine which was suppose to help me sleep. It didn't of course, so a few days after that I found myself in the ER with a high fever (still!) a cough that wouldn't quit & made my head feel like it would explode if I coughed one more time, & a lack of sleep that really brought me down. Still they sent me home with pain killers for my headache, an inhaler, & a few directions to getting better. After a couple of days more of spiking temperatures, night sweats, chills, headaches, coughing, I saw my primary doctor one last time... this time I demanded an X-Ray of my chest, I knew something did not feel right & I was tired of being sent home & told that I "just needed to ride out this flu." At this point (a little over a weeks time) I was feeling frustrated, emotional, anxious & fed up with the dozens of medications I've been using, I cried to my doctor & asked that he please order an X-Ray- so he did. I'm glad I did because the next day I received a call from my doctor & it turned out that indeed I had more than just this season's flu, I had pneumonia in my right lung. I cried when I heard him diagnose me. I think I was crying out of relief. He immediately sent a prescription for antibiotics to my pharmacy. I knew there was still a long road ahead to recovering completely. Today was my final day taking my antibiotics but only the 3rd day I have felt well enough to be out of the house enjoying life. Through all of this frustration & sickness I am very thankful for Matt who was there for me. He really went above & beyond to make sure I had everything I needed. He consistently asked how he could help me or make me more comfortable. He even took a couple of days off work during my worst days to keep me calm & relaxed. He brought me food in bed, made grocery store/food runs, drew me baths, & even rubbed my feet. He is the best. I love him so much.

Our Trip to Wrightwood

There is nothing more that I have wanted but to head up a mountain & play in the snow. Is it just me or do our winters seem to be getting warmer every year? Anyway, on Matt's day off this past Friday, he finally caved & took me to the mountains. We drove up the 15 to Wrightwood. A tiny town best known for it's Mt. High Resort. Cute little place with only a few shops & restaurants. We looked to Yelp for some guidance & found ourselves at The Grizzly Cafe for lunch, I had a really good Bloody Mary& fish & chips. Service was great, our server was the sweetest & so attentive. If you ever find yourself in Wrightwood, I recommend this place.

If you plan on visiting these snowy mountains this season I highly recommend a good jacket & gloves. Being from Orange County I yearn for a real Winter season & boy did I get that on this visit! Temperatures were in the high teens & my nose felt like it was going to fall off. I still enjoyed it so much. After lunch we drove around looking for a good spot to play & try building a snow man, that was a fail on account of the snow being pure powder & without good snow gloves our hands froze the instant we touched the cold snow. I had fun just being there with Matt, taking photos & holding on to my hot chocolate. We explored a few different places before heading back home. Here are some of the photos I took.

Getting ready to get out of the warm car & out to the cold

The road

Wrightwood, Ca

Matt next to a tree he really liked

My view of my feet

I tried throwing a snow ball at Matt but it just turned to dust in the wind (anyone get that reference?)

Matt & I really want to take up snowboarding. I have been a few times & really liked it so I can't wait to try it with him. We'll most likely wait for the next season so I am already looking forward to next winter. What are some of your favorite activities or favorite places to visit in the winter? Whatever it is you are doing, stay warm & drink lots of hot chocolate.

Beatriz