Bronchitis Bites

I have COPD - better known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Both of my parents were heavy smokers from before my birth until I was in my teen-age years.  My sister and I used to get reported to teachers, deans and principals because we reeked of cigarette smoke.  Neither of us have ever smoked, but everything in our house smelled of cigarette smoke - we could take a bath, wash our hair, dry ourselves, put on clean clothes, and still smell like cigarette smoke.  Our towels, wash cloths, clothes, sheets and beds, curtains, and furniture all retained that "wonderful" odor of tobacco and nicotine.  Because I breathed all of that stuff for a good part of my life, I ended up with COPD.  I don't have normal lung function.  I have chronic sinusitis, I have chronic bronchitis, I have chronic asthma.  I've dealt with this for nearly 60 years, so I don't blame my parents.  It's just something I have to deal with.
  My biggest problem now comes from where I live.  I walk five miles each day, no matter what - and today it was extremely difficult.  Boulder is located more than a mile above sea level; the air is very dry; and when it gets cold here, it gets cold.  In the eleven years that i have been here, I have found that I cannot step outside if the temperature is less than 15 degrees (F).  My lungs go into spasms and I simply cannot get enough air to breathe.  Since I walk dogs, and am out in the weather, this creates a difficulty.  .....
  Anyway, my first big case of bronchitis jumped on me yesterday - I have lungs full of fluid, sinuses full of fluid, a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, coughs full of "junk," and aches and pains.  Other than taking care of my charges - cats and dogs - I'm drinking tons of fluid, taking hot showers under fresh eucalyptus sprigs, and I've already gotten sick of chicken broth and chicken noodle soup.  Beatrice suggested I put Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of my feet each night when I go to bed.  We'll have to see what this winter brings.
   I had made the comment to Bea that I thought we might need to purchase some thermal-lined curtains for the sliding glass doors in our living room, and for our bed rooms.  She didn't think so, since the buildings were just completed in June and are supposed to be very "green" and environmentally friendly.  After the other night, when we had a low of 28 degrees, she said we needed to get out the measuring tapes and write down the dimensions of our double-paned glass areas because she could feel waves of cold air coming from them....   That's on the agenda for tomorrow.

Ash Wednesday

It's Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. An affenpinscher named Banana Joe won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show; while a 'local' Colorado Springs dog, 20-month-old Swagger, an Old English Sheepdog placed second. It is believed that ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner has died in a fire in a cabin in Big Bear, California. (I'll believe it when forensics prove that it is Dorner's body.)
  Saw the doctor again yesterday. I still have acute bronchitis; but my chest X-Ray shows no pneumonia. Supposed to stay in bed until February 23, now. I am sick and tired of being ill - but I can't breathe...

Sunday Stuff

I talked with my friend Carolyn in Vero Beach this morning - we traded coughs at each other - she had this upper respiratory infection and bronchitis starting the week before Christmas, and she's still coughing.... We got caught up on family news and giggled over the past and laid out a few plans for the future, including a shared trip up to Chincoteague. It was good to hear the voice of a childhood friend! We're as close as most sisters, and she (along with her husband, Greg) always makes me feel loved and secure (even if we're griping about the cost of cable TV or whatever). It was good to be able to talk and relax and laugh - and cough - with her. I had to admit that I had forgotten the name of Amy, her orange female tabby - I knew her name was short and started with an A, but I couldn't have said Amy to save my life... The problems of having too much stuff in one's brain, I think.
  I figured the Texans would win over the Bengals yesterday, and I was happy to see the Packers prevail over the Vikings. Now we have today's games: Colts and Ravens, then the Seahawks and Redskins. I'm rooting for RGIII, Shanahan, and the 'Skins. Lovey and Nedi curled up with me and spent all night with some portion of their anatomy touching me - even though I was having fever and chills and kept tossing the covers on and off. Lovey is currently in the reading chair, while Nedi is sprawled on the patio, soaking up sunshine. Friday was the first time since Christmas Eve that we achieved a temperature above freezing - it was in the low 40s yesterday, and is supposed to be thereabouts for the next week. We're having a heat wave! And I love it! Warmth, warmth, give me warmth! I was going to be at home all this week, but it looks as if I'll be at Aiko and Yoshi's for 3 nights this week. Then I'll be at home until the 17th.
  The Mapleton Hill community is holding a candlelight vigil for Edward the Elk this evening. The majority of people in Boulder love their pets, furry friends, and wildlife to an extreme - that's how I make my living, after all - and, while there are also those black-hearted knaves around who dislike anything other than humans, luckily they are a minority. If I didn't have this bronchitis, I'd be there to pay my respects.