sick

just came from a check up with a pulmonologist.

last night my chest felt so tight that i was afraid i may be having another bout with pneumonia. while watching the day after tomorrow with tatit, i was coughing rapid fire. not only was i sounding worse than my dogs (i could bark better than they do. mojo and vanilla being all too friendly, are more appropriate to be welcome committee dogs than guard dogs making them pretty useless but still lovable), my head was slightly spinning thus the world was tilting at a slight angle and i could barely remain conscious by the time we shifted to Oprah (whose topic was how to get the right bra, which i should have listened to but could hardly pay attention).

45 minutes of waiting time had me talking to the doctor for l0 minutes about my symptoms, which to his conclusion is not pneumonia but (and before i say what it is, let me just say that it was also one of my list of diagnosis except i was more inclined to have pneumonia because it sounded more tragic. hehe.) an extreme allergic reaction. thus the small rashes on my face and the tightness in my chest. the coughing and the phlegm was a side effect, plus i did get drenched in the rain and pushed myself to the limit in midsalip.

what triggered the allergy? novellino, chiraz and carlo rossi. they started it all. except when i point at them, three fingers are pointing back at me. i should not have drank. my "drinking" buds here in davao know that and tried to stop me. but i want to join along the fun and had a quarter glass, or as my mom says with her salty portions, "konti lang". "konti lang" that end up with hacking and long periods of rest. didn't even bother drinking antihistamines. so once triggered, i am more susceptible to my other allergies of dust mite, pollen and chicken (this particular one is self-assessed, because i want an excuse not to eat tinolang native chicken in the area which is the absolute favorite of every Assisi worker except me).

after he listed down the medicines i have to take, i asked for the name of the allergist (what do you call a doctor of allergies? allergologist? allergicynocologyst? whatever.) he recommended the last time. somehow my self is telling me to take the allergy exam just so i know what to avoid (but crap... i know i'm going to lose out on the best things in life if it ends up telling me i can't eat crabs, shrimps and tuyo!). but then i may choose not to take the exam either and just point the fingers at the usual suspects.

thankfully, since he was my sister's friend who is also a doctor, i saved on consultation fees. when i checked out the pharmacy to check out to get the medicines i need for a week, pusang gala! it would cost me almost P1,700.00. damn shit.

right now, i'm not sure if i want to get well with that price. i didn't buy the medicines yet. tatit kalakdkaded me to a gluttonyfest at 2PM which i accepted despite wanting to just lie down just because. after that i will go home, rest and be a couch potato. maybe i'll get some medicines good for three days. but since the antibiotics should be taken for seven days... i'm as good as broke.

one part of my consultation with the doctor, i explained to him the allergy may have gotten worse after field work, having been exposed to dust and pollen. casually, he said, "baka kailangan mo ring magpalit ng trabaho kung nagfi-field ka. one way din is to walk around with a mask, pero makakainsulto ka ng mga tao." which is true. who wants to go around the mountains with a blue mask on her face? it's like screaming, "I have SARS" or "you all have SARS."

sigh. all those months last year i have been looking for an excuse to quit but not that i may have one, it's not a good thought especially since i'm starting to enjoy myself again.

anyway... i hope i get well. there are still things to be thankful for like thank God it's not pneumonia or asthma. but damn, i just hate feeling like Beth of "The Little Women" who is always sick and just stays home all the time. I stay home because I choose to, not because I have to. Grsh.