Last night was the first night since moving to the Philippines almost one year ago that I haven’t gone out drinking. And no, I didn’t have some kind of epiphany that nothing good will come from the pleasures you find at the bottom of several bottles of cold brew. Rather, my abstinence was a reflection of just how damn sick I truly was.

The illness seemed to come out of nowhere. Everything went fine at the Hash on Monday. The only thing that was unusual was a couple of Hashers happened to wander into the bar where I was enjoying an after Hash beer. Well, one thing led to another and the next thing I knew someone had bought a round of vodka shots. Of course under the rules of bar etiquette, I was obligated to reciprocate. So the back and forth continued until I had consumed at least four shots. As a low alcohol beer drinker, those shots hit me pretty hard. Yeah, I went home drunker than I’ve been in quite some time.

So, the next morning when I woke up feeling poorly I assumed it was merely a hangover from my over indulgence. But then I noticed some pain in my leg, light-headedness, and a lack of energy that gives new meaning to the word lethargic. I actually had a hard time just making it down the stairs. I knew then whatever was ailing me was not about alcohol consumption.

My domestic helper Tere is also a certified caregiver and she went into full-on care giving mode. She took my temperature and I was in fact running a fever. While I was napping on the couch (too damn hard to get up the stairs) she scheduled an appointment with a doctor at our local hospital.

I really didn’t want to go. First of all it seemed pointless and secondly I just didn’t have the energy to get up and go. Tere was insistent saying the doctor was waiting on me and finally I didn’t have the energy to keep saying no.

I thought the doctor seemed okay. I mean, I knew there wasn’t much he could do. He took my blood pressure and it was sky high (160!). He listened to my breathing and noticed right away that I’ve been having some issues. I told him I have COPD but that it’s been a lot worse for a few weeks. I suggested maybe because of the heat and he nodded but said I might also have a bronchial infection. He also referred to me as “elderly” once. Bastard! Bottom line, he wanted me to schedule a chest x-ray and some blood work which I may do tomorrow. In the meantime he wrote prescriptions for two antibiotics, some other stuff that is supposed to help clear my lungs of phlegm, including some juice for a nebulizer.

Anyway, by my count I spent around 18 hours in bed/on the couch yesterday. After a nebulizer session I did feel like I was breathing easier and lost the hacking cough. I still have no idea what’s going on with my leg. I was so out of it yesterday I forgot to mention it to the doc. A few days ago I got what I thought was a mosquito bite, but it was bigger than most and never really went away. Then I was thinking maybe I got poked by a thorn on one of my hikes. Whatever it is it got infected. My leg was very swollen this morning and quite painful. Oddly enough, it hurts more when I am inactive. I got my morning 10,000 steps in without much problem. And maybe the antibiotics are kicking in because the swelling appears to be down this afternoon.

And yes, it crossed my mind that the water with the nasty ass ice the half drunk guy provided me on Sunday’s hike may indeed have made me sick.

Not much to report on the Hash this week. A little over 8 KMs, but completely flat (both the Hares are in their 70’s). Not really new territory for me either, although one section is where I had been exploring a few days ago when the trail I was walking on dead ended in someone’s yard. The kids that live there showed me how to get back on the road and I rewarded them with 20 pesos each. Monday’s Hash trail went through the same damn yard! The kids really smiled when they saw me coming.

Here’s to your health!

UPDATE: I’ve used the “sick and tired” heading twice previously. Interestingly (to me at least), in November 2016 I wrote about the coughing fits I’d been having. They continued and got a lot worse before I was finally diagnosed with COPD.

The other post was from February 2012 when I still had a wife to share my illness with. Oh well.