MAGGI PICAYUNE

Left is healthy, Mid-Left is me, Mid-Right and Right is what I'm trying to avoid

Don’t be alarmed or too worried but I haven’t been in A-1 health since late July. I caught a Summer cold yet I can’t shake off the coughing element. It has ebb and flowed with the severity. There’s often something hacked up, nothing with blood thankfully. The cough is mostly annoying because I have to speak for a living so I find myself hitting the mute button; I don’t want to wheeze into a customer’s ear.

I did see a doctor while I was ill in November. He put me on an inhaler (same sponsor of those plastic throats) and anti-biotics figuring I had bronchitis. I thought I felt some improvement. Either the fluticasone propionate was working or it had a placebo effect; the anti-biotics did squat, sorry for adding to the problem there. There was a chest X-ray too. I heard nothing further.

Then the holiday season matters pre-occupied my health, relatively stupid move on my part. I just didn’t want to relive the horrors of several other years plus I was having flashbacks over 1992, a second half I wish I could erase.

I went back in mid January, luckily I got the same doctor at ARC. He informed me there was supposed to be cough syrup in the last package. D’oh! The doc ordered another round for the inhaler, some other drug called Montelukast and a trip to see a specialist: asthma and allergies.

The good news? It isn’t cancer nor pneumonia, the latter I really feared.

Yesterday I saw the specialist, filled out paperwork, explained the symptoms, had him review the medication, etc. This doctor’s theories: mild asthma but this tends to be genetic and smoking helps bring it on, I’m clear on the latter; allergies which means I get to experience testing in the near future; and acid reflux. His last suggestion made me puzzled. The doctor explained how the fumes can waft up. Makes sense now.

Until I get poked numerous times to see if anything makes my skin freak out, I must stay the course on what the GP prescribed. Testing is scheduled for February 18. Should you see me afterwards, don’t panic and don’t try to play connect the dots on my arms.

That came off like a tongue twister! Tuesday and Wednesday were nice birthdays amongst the Aggie faction of the Bridge family, aka my Aggie in-laws since College Station is where they live and the parents are both graduates of Texas A&M.

Moving on to the core of this post…

Tuesday was my brother-in-law Aaron’s birthday. Not much else to say. I figured he went to work, received some nice cards, etc.

Yesterday was then my nephew Wyatt’s 10th birthday. Bummer about having to go to school. My brother had the same problem which made me ultra-grateful to be born in the Summer, it was like a second Christmas when we were little kids. Not sure what the aspiring little movie maker wants exactly. I need to buzz his mother, see what he is into. I do wish he lived closer, rumor has it Wyatt’s brothers (Hunter and Cannon) don’t share his hobby thus I could be easily cajoled into being talent for his projects.

After I get through this weekend, I’ll find out what’s the plan.

I stumbled upon this great piece of fan art through the Deviant Art site. It’s a cool place where people do numerous things with all media. I often check it out when I see a tribute or interpretation.

This Valentine’s Day tribute to Adventure Time was perfect but I had to modify the art somewhat. The original is animated, WP requires them to be the exact dimensions otherwise the software creates a .jpg/.png substitute, and I would need the separate files to rework it. Thankfully the creator gave me permission so in return I want to promote her section. Check out her additional work along with fellow fans.

I should’ve know there was a significance to seeing horror afficionado Joe Bob Briggs (more on him later) last night! Today is my sensei‘s birthday.

Lester has much to celebrate because his upcoming game is or will be shipping soon!

Rock on Lester! Maybe I should put Lester and Joe Bob in touch since Joe Bob is accepting scripts.

One of the most frustrating things about anxiety/depression is its ability to subside by the time you see the doctor. This happens to me fairly often and I hate it. I usually keep a list on hand to share with my specialist, let little fall through the cracks. Last visit I was coming off that crappy weekend clouded by cold medicine (plus Somara was ill to boot). We agreed to move up to something stronger because the whole holiday season was lousy, filled with frustration, anger and dread…much more than I usually feel.

The stronger stuff began slowly, half a pill for six days followed by a full one forever after. It requires some food to accompany. Gotta’ love those drugs. The initial six days went alright. A couple days into the full amount sucked. My stomach wrenched, dry heaves in the morning, exercise only killed the malaise for a while (often it jumpstarts the day as I transition into work mode) and the worst symptom; concentrating became difficult. Whenever the front of my head feels like it’s trapped in a vise, I have trouble focusing without expending a greater effort.

I had to take a few days off from work, contact the doctor on adjusting the dosage and jones out for a bit. Managed to get through it eventually. It cost me some good times over the weekend since I didn’t feel together enough to leave the house.

Not everything was negative. I took the opportunity to see the other doctor regarding my never-ending cough/congestion (this has plagued me for months). Walgreens forgot to give me some syrup in November. D’oh! This doc wants to continue with another round of the funky inhaler; I get a refill this time. He suspects allergies and/or asthma thus I am taking a weird medication I can’t pronounce easily, wait, they’re all impossible to pronounce. Next week I get to see a specialist on allergies and asthma to rule this out.

Back to the process of digging out from under the jazz I let slide while I was imprisoned by my evil twin:

• Geek Bowl VII
• Joe Bob Briggs at Alamo Ritz
• Pinballz League

The lady with the easy-to-remember birthdate…1-2-3, aka 1/23. I suppose someone with December 3rd would share this trait as I’m thinking it over.

Wishing her, hoping she’s staying warm up there in the Minneapolis area, I’m checking a current weather application I like called swackett™.  Brrr! Right now it’s -8° C but feels like -18° C, gotta’ be the darned wind. Anything below 0° is negative anything after 18 years in Austin!

Cindy is a accustomed to it. I don’t recall her ever living in a warmer climate since we met unless graduate school in Iowa is taken into consideration.