Crawling Back from the Abyss, Part II
Nine days after my body was invaded by an alien life form, I am finally, finally, feeling somewhat like a human being again.
Trouble was, I wasn't getting an better. Day in, day out, I kept hoping to wake up and find myself back to normal, or at least somewhat physically improved, but it wasn't happening. So yesterday I hoisted the white flag. My wife put me in the car, and shuttled me off to the doctor.
Couple of hours later I returned home with incredibly expensive prescription strength cough syrup and a handful of antibiotics. The cough syrup had the consistency of Elmer's glue, the color of semen, and tasted like garbage. I swallowed, violently coughed an hour later, and could feel the dam gates bust way down in lower lung. The burst was deep and hot, but wildly satisfying.
Today, the antibiotics seem to be doing their job. Last night was the first night in over a week I slept without breaking out in a fever.
Beyond all the goop and mucus, I never want to revisit the past nine days again. I can't remember a time I felt so uncreative and uninspired. The drugs, of which I took many, suppressed and numbed the neurons to the point of mental, and physical, depression. Countless times I laid on the couch, staring at the flickering lights and news tickers, wondering what I was doing with my life, and how everything would be so much better if I worked as a bartender, or a Forest Ranger, or a politician. Anything but sitting indoors, basking in the rays of that monitor, pushing and cussing at yourself creatively. Life could be so much easier.
Comments
T,
I think that's one of your best posts! Although I'm sure others thought of it, I don't think anybody else would call their cough syrup semen-coloured, except maybe the sadly ill-fated Dooce.
Having your creativity sucked out of your soul by a comfy couch stinxxor -- I know!
Hey, in other news -- I went to the apple/adobe driven by design seminar in toronto yesterday (you told me about their existence a while ago..) and it was big fun. not as BIG as I'd hoped, but big enough.
Thanks,
Posted by: Mathew at June 7, 2002 1:13 PM
I stumbled on your site from Soapbox GIRLS and am so glad I did :)
Felicia
Posted by: felicia at June 7, 2002 2:30 PM
Hope you get well soon! Sounds like a touch of pneumonia and I remember that not being fun AT ALL. Should clear up pretty fast now that you have the meds.
Posted by: Lauri at June 7, 2002 7:22 PM
Hmm. Sitting around pitifully, convinced life would be better if you did something more with your life. That "Basking in the glow of that damn monitor" is no way to make a living.
How exactly do you manage to not feel that way when not sick? You've just described my whole post dotcom life, and I don't have pneumonia. :)
Posted by: Chris at June 7, 2002 7:49 PM
