I don't have a scanner to fake doctor's notes, and honestly, I'm not looking to mess around with that kind of stuff. I'll just hand over the actual lab results from February 17th and say I had an attack... hopefully that works as an excuse.
Anyway, different subject now. The saline drip was great, cleared everything right up, no issues there. But this antibiotic I got is a nightmare. It's some unknown brand, 500mg... and I can't even swallow a tiny Advil pill. So I've been trying to dissolve it in water to drink it like a liquid.
But this unknown crap is a beast and won't dissolve in a spoonful of water, so I was dying today just TRYING TO EAT this antibiotic porridge. The taste that garbage left in my mouth... I couldn't wash it away for at least 15 minutes. Swallowing the pill is out of the question, and they don't make this exact same med in a syrup version.
Man, doctors... three different doctors, three totally different diagnoses.
Just got back from yet another hospital visit. They ran every test under the sun—bloodwork, veins, spirometry, allergy tests—and I was supposed to get a sinus X-ray and a nasal swab, but the doctor said there’s no point.
He’s a specialist, though. Not just some random GP.😁
It went alright. He thinks it’s probably not asthma, even though I am allergic to ragweed, weeds, dust mites, and dust. unknown. He gave me some saline spray to use a bunch of times a day to thin out the mucus, plus some antibiotics.
Antibiotics. Fak, I won't be able to drink at the Coachella festival now.😢 😁
Everything else was fine. It’s just a shame that in a country like this, nurses get to touch and listen to a body this powerful.😁 It was okay.
Not going to class today. Just can't. My overbearing mom went to pick up an excuse note from the doctor with me, so now I have no idea how to justify missing yesterday. unknown.
Go to the pharmacy and grab some Bisolex tablets. They work fast and effectively.
🙏 🙏 🙏, that's what I told him immediately! But noooo, Spike Lee isn't a medical doctor so he knows nothing about meds. Idiot.😁
Woke up at 10 PM and couldn't catch my breath... those damn attacks always hit me when I'm sleeping. Totally out of it, just stumbling to the sink trying to cough something up, but nothing comes out, still can't breathe.
My old lady is already getting up, she knows what's happening. I went out to the backyard, tried to clear my throat, nothing. Can't inhale, can't exhale. Struggled for maybe a minute and a half before I finally found this tiny little opening to grab one single breath. And just when you think you're okay, that gap closes right up. No air left.
Another 20 seconds and I ended up dry heaving like crazy, but nothing actually came up from my stomach (?!) and then I finally calmed down and thought, no way am I letting this happen again, we're going to the new hospital.
Got to the ER, they ran my blood work and a differential, hooked me up to a freaking EKG. And an X-ray, too.
After an hour, they told me it’s most likely asthma... damn it.
Got some Albuterol and now I've got more tests tomorrow (btw, are they painful?). Throat swabs, spirometry, stuff like that... hopefully it isn't bad, I hate having foreign objects poked into me.
Honestly don't know what to do, because if it really is asthma, half my life is basically over... not even that, it's just the idea that I could choke at any second..
Just checking in. I'm doing alright. Sleeping fine.
Was supposed to see my doctor tomorrow, but I’ve got school stuff to focus on, so I can't just show up and ask for a note... they'll kick me out of class and I'll get zero credit for the absence.
So, I'm heading in Wednesday for the checkup, and I'll grab the excuse note for Tuesday then. If she's working the same shift as I am at school on Wednesday, then I'll just head over Thursday instead.
Surprisingly good. Slept through the whole thing without any phlegm issues. Still feel Him deep in my throat, though... but I'm not taking any chances. Water, tea, gargling, syrup.
ruggedjackal46 said:Got this DVD and just handed it off to a friend (it’s "Chicago," so I didn't even care). What a total joke. I get there, buy my ticket, ask what the special prize for couples is, and the woman hands me a damn DVD. Absolutely ridiculous... 😁
Didn't realize you were joined at the hip with her.
unknown, she was already home while I was out getting ready for college orientation. I got back around 3, and she’d already arranged for this one to come over... she even went to the drugstore to grab some syrup and stuff.
I just couldn't make it to the doctor in time. And tomorrow is out because they're closed, and they won't treat this as an emergency. Just hoping I can get through to them tomorrow...
edit: music I wrote this track tonight to capture everything that happened this morning. The instruments are tied to breathing, so that reverse cymbal... that's my attempt at catching my breath.
Imagine those clumps of mucus like the base of a chromosome. Now, when you unravel them, they become massive—and that’s exactly what's happening to me. Like, when I cough, the phlegm rises up, but it's not just a little glob... it feels like this endless string. Honestly, I feel like I could spend 20 minutes just trying to dig it out by hand.
The harder I cough, the more it repeats what happened this morning. So now I'm just constantly drinking water and gargling. Just trying to make it through the night... brought extra pillows so my head stays super, super elevated..
I can feel this mucus deep in my throat, and if I even try to cough it up, my whole airway just clogs right back up. Then I end up with this pathetic little wheeze, like a cat. If I actually manage to hack it up hard, I'll just be right back where I was this morning.
So I just let the phlegm slide down into my stomach, lungs, wherever it wants to go...
Anyway, what about steam inhalation? You know, breathing in some kind of menthol through your nose? Is that supposed to help break up the gunk?
edit: wait, isn't inhalation more for clearing out sinus congestion? I can breathe through my nose just fine and I don't have any runny nose issues, so...
ps. thanks to everyone on these forums helping me stay somewhat alive, since clearly nobody else gives a damn
I didn't just go out and grab that syrup on my own. My mom called the pediatrician, and based on what I was feeling, she told me to take it. Looking back now... maybe wasn't the best move.
She was supposed to swing by today to check me out, but there's some stuff going on with her family's health, so she hasn't made it yet.
It’s brutal. Every time I start coughing, I can feel the phlegm rising and I can barely breathe. Anyway, if you don't hear from me tomorrow, at least you'll know why...
My mom was chatting with a pediatrician friend of hers. She suggested getting some syrup—I can't remember the exact name, just that it's clear-pink and tastes like nothing—that actually suppresses the cough reflex.
That's specifically for a dry cough.
A buddy told me I should've gone for the stuff meant for wet coughs, you know, the kind that breaks up the mucus so you can actually cough it up. Says that's why what I'm taking isn't working...
According to WebMD regarding asthma: Neck muscles tighten, making speech difficult or even impossible. An attack often ends with coughing up thick mucus. Asthma typically worsens at night, with attacks frequently occurring between 2 and 4 AM.
I’m gonna tell you what happened to me this morning, no exaggeration, no acting tough or anything...
Woke up in the middle of the night, same old story, dealing with my mucus issues. Coughed hard and for the first time, the gunk actually hit my mouth—tasted kind of salty. I headed over to the window, spat it out, and that was it. Back to bed.
Woke up again five minutes later. Or so I thought. It was actually 7:00 PM minus 20. Mucus problems again. Tried to clear it out like last time, coughing like crazy so the stuff would fly out, but instead of hitting my mouth, it got stuck right in my throat. I tried to pull it up, you know, that gross "rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgg" sound, but nothing! Panic set in. I scrambled toward the door, still unable to breathe. Made it to the kitchen, turned on the tap to grab a glass of water, but I couldn't even swallow. I couldn't draw the water in because I couldn't suck in any air. Tried breathing through my mouth and nose, nothing worked. About 30 seconds had passed and I hadn't gotten a single breath. Total panic. My mom bursts out of her room, followed by our dog barking at me, seeing me choking.
She sees I can't get air and asks, "What happened?!" or something like that. I wasn't really processing anything around me. I couldn't talk, just making these pathetic "uuuuuk uuuuuuk" sounds because I couldn't catch my breath. She grabbed a glass of water and tried holding it to my throat, but I couldn't drink. And unknown, a whole minute had gone by. Still no air. The mucus was completely blocking the way.
Mom was panicking too, yelling at me to breathe—somewhere between crying and being furious. But I just couldn't! "I'm gonna die." That's what I told myself. Trying to breathe, but it's like someone is strangling me. No air coming in. Mom thought maybe if she shoved her finger down my throat she could make me throw it all up. She tries, I feel the urge to vomit, but nothing comes out! I don't get it, maybe the sphincter is just too tight or my brain just locked everything down. It just wouldn't happen. I saw there was no help coming. I was done.
Two minutes without air.
I forced the kitchen door open to get to the backyard, trying to gasp for air. I wasn't looking at the scenery, wasn't thinking about God, my whole life didn't flash before my eyes. I was just thinking, "I'm dying. Unknown..." Mom is still shoving her fingers down my throat, trying to trigger a gag reflex, but I can't vomit even though I clearly am about to. I'm going "bljuuu" but nothing happens. She starts massaging my throat and pushing deeper, I don't even know what she was doing, but I've been without oxygen for two and a half minutes now. I collapse to the ground.
I couldn't stay on my feet anymore and just gave up to the floor.
Then, I find this tiny, microscopic gap in the mucus, and I take my first little breath. It was so small, like taking a sip of air for 0.1 seconds. But it was enough.
I pulled myself up. Spitting saliva, hoping there was some mucus mixed in. Didn't see anything green, just white spit. Maybe it was just white mucus. I slowly started breathing harder and harder. Mom shoves water under my nose to drink; I take it, and after two and a half minutes of no air, I finally sit down in a chair.
Sat there in the chair and didn't say a word. Not from shock, but because I physically couldn't. I tried to speak, but all that came out was "bluuu akkk ram." It was horrific. For a second, I actually thought it was sleep paralysis, but it wasn't a bad dream. It was real.
After what felt like two seconds (actually ten minutes), some chamomile tea appeared. I downed it quickly and told Mom I had to head out for my training prep. I think I managed to say those three words for about 30 seconds. "Going to practice."
Mom tells me not to go, stay until she makes more hot tea and breakfast, but I told her I wouldn't make it and had to leave. Like the whole choking incident didn't even happen, for God's sake! I ended up drinking the hot tea anyway, ate breakfast, and headed for the bus.
Halfway there, I realize I didn't grab my wallet. My transit pass is in there. Nothing for it. Heading back home for my wallet. If I try to catch the tram, I won't make it to the neighborhood on time...
I ring the doorbell, hear Mom bolt up, probably thinking there's another emergency. She looks at me totally crazed, and I just say, "Forgot my pass," and head across town to get to practice.
I was terrified to even open my mouth... just one accidental cough felt like it could be the end. I genuinely thought I was dying right then and there. Things have calmed down now, but honestly? Nobody believed a word I said. My friends just gave me crap, saying I was acting psychotic or losing my mind after a few minutes... like I was making it all up.
But I almost died. unknown, man.
The choking thing happened again while I was walking home with two buddies. This massive wave of mucus hit me out of nowhere—I tried coughing it back up into my throat (how does that even work if I'm coughing it UP?!) but I couldn't breathe for 15 seconds flat.
Seriously, I have no idea what kind of sickness is hitting me.
Just three weeks ago, I caught some kind of infection. I was coughing like a chain smoker every 20 seconds... drinking teas, using throat lozenges... my nose was never even stuffed and I didn't even have a fever, so I had to drag myself to high school in this total mess.
The coughing hasn't stopped. Not as often, but it’s not dry anymore—it's wet. And there’s this Fak slime stuck deep in my throat that I just can't spit out. It only moves up toward my throat when I cough hard enough. It’s awful. Today, I was reading the paper, had a little cough, and that slime or whatever it is just surged up... I couldn't swallow or breathe, felt like it was going straight into my lungs. I stood up, went to grab some water, turned on the faucet, tried to sip... but it wouldn't go down. Once I finally got some water in me, it was okay.
I almost choked, unknown.
Same thing at school. As soon as I start coughing a bit harder, all that slimy crap rises up. I'm just wondering when I'm actually gonna choke.
Every morning when I wake up, I'm coughing constantly. Since I'm still half-asleep, I end up coughing a bit too hard and it makes me nauseous, so I throw up every single morning. Of course, I manage to settle it by drinking water.
Now I just want to know what's wrong with me, what I should do about this and everything else...
Just remembered my best friend went through this once.
He was at his high school in Chicago when he approached some random girl, started hitting on her, kissed her, then got home and realized his hand was covered in these crazy little red bumps. It started spreading all over his body and torso until it almost reached his junk.
In a moment of pure panic, he told himself he’d just do it one last time, because if the rash hit his penis, he figured he might actually have to get it cut off. So, he did it.
The lie: He rubbed semen all over the rash.
Truth: After he finished masturbating, the rash just cleared up.