Sunday, January 16, 2022

The Sickening

Farmer H is under the weather. Not yet knock-knock-knockin' on Not-Life's door, but a bit out-of-sorts in the physical realm. I knew something was wrong on Saturday morning. Farmer H left for his Storage Unit Store, even though we had snow falling, with a couple inches on the grassy areas. He was back by 9:00 a.m. I was still in my OPC (Old People Chair), and didn't hear him upstairs. Silence. By 10:00, I was curious. 

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Kind of sleeping in my chair."

"No TV?"

"No. I don't feel good."

I let him go back to sleep while I watched TV. Then went upstairs to interrogate him around noon.

"Do you plan to do anything today?"

"Not really. I don't think I'm going to the auction tonight, either. I might go pay my storage unit rent here in a bit."

"Okay. Do you want those vitamins I got?"

"Yeah."

Here's the thing. I got some vitamins to have on hand. Just in case we came down with something. Just to give our immune system a little boost and maybe speed up the recovery a few days. It has quercetin, zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D, all in a giant horse pill capsule. Heh, heh! It's NOT horse de-wormer. Just people vitamins combined in one pill.

"You have to eat something with it."

"I'll microwave a hot dog."

So Farmer H ate a hot dog, took a vitamin, and went to town for a couple hours to pay his rent and pick up some toilet plumbing stuff for Pony House. He was home by 3:00, and back in his recliner after a hot bath, for more napping until 5:30.

I made him some chunky chicken noodle soup for supper with a big cup of water. Then I made him a hot toddy. That's whiskey, hot water, honey, and lemon. Only I substituted lime for lemon, because that's what we had on hand. Farmer H drank it like it was good. Then he went to bed at 7:00.

I told him that if he didn't feel like he could sleep (when he has a cold, he says he can't breathe with his breather strapped on), that he could sleep in the recliner. That won't hurt him for a few nights. It negates the need for his breather.

Anyhoo... I'll be getting some more chicken soup on Sunday, and maybe some actual lemons. Farmer H said he has a slight headache, but that might be from not having four or five Diet Mountain Dews, and the lack of caffeine. Also, he said his joints were a little achy. Which may be a real thing, or may be from working on Pony House longer hours for two days this week.

I'm pretty sure Farmer H picked up his sickness AT THE DOCTOR on Wednesday, when he had his regular 6-month appointment. Even though he said nobody else was there. Still, he sat in the waiting room, and touched stuff. He's an eye-rubber. Farmer H thinks he caught it from his Old Man helper, who came back to work at Pony House this week after saying he had the VIRUS, and they gave him a shot at the ER a couple weeks ago. Farmer H said he was still hacking and coughing, even though it's been a couple weeks.

Still, Old Man was back on Monday. Seems like Farmer H would have been feeling poorly before Saturday. The doctor visit fits the timeline better, I think.

It's so exhausting trying to stay away from Farmer H and his cooties. And to practice medicine without a license...

5 comments:

Kathy's Klothesline said...

I hope he gets better soon. Whatever I had made me feel pretty awful and took two weeks to get to the other side. That would not be good for you!!

River said...

I don't want to scare anybody, but his symptoms sound like the Omicron version of the virus. That's the one my grand daughter and her fiance got, recovery is pretty quick though, he should be fine in a week. Did you know the virus can be caught through the eyes? Because it's airborne and eyes are mucusy. One daughter and me and are so glad we wear glasses. That's why touching the face and eyes are NOT recommended, while this pandemic plays around the world.

Hillbilly Mom said...

Kathy,
He seemed about 50% better today. His voice sounded like his head was in a smaller bucket, and he had a lively conversation on the phone with a crony, and he watched TV in his chair. Said he slept all night with a little Nyquil, and only got up to sit in the recliner briefly.

Still taking his vitamin twice a day, and getting a hot toddy with supper, and having a can of chicken soup for lunch. He skipped his Storage Unit Store on Sunday morning, due to temps in the teens. Plans to work on Pony House on Monday. I told him maybe just half a day, then come home and rest.

***
River,
Farmer H agrees about the symptoms. Said he hasn't noticed a fever. I've known about the eye thing forever. I'm always nagging-- I mean speaking to Farmer H with concern-- when we are on the way home from the casino, and he rubs his eyes while sweaving in A-Cad. Farmer H wears glasses, but it doesn't help when he pokes a finger into his eyeball.

Sioux Roslawski said...

Yes, you suffer in so many ways when you have to try and stay away from Farmer H. Having his sleep in the chair while you have the bed to yourself must be especially rough.

I feel for you...

Hillbilly Mom said...

Sioux,
Thank you, Madam, for feeling my pain like My Man Bill used to feel my pain. I hope you typed that with a little catch in your fingers, like he had a little catch in his voice, feeling the pain of some debate-watcher who asked about economic policy.

Actually, I stayed downstairs in my OPC (Old People Chair), a better buffer for circulating cooties that might breach the living room-bedroom barrier.