This Weight Loss Plan Sucks

Well, I haven't written in a while because I haven't felt good in a while. I learned a big lesson--no more self-medication. And now I am suffering for it.

See, I had a common ailment this past Wednesday. I woke up and got my little house coat and slippers on, and shuffled to the bathroom to do my usual morning thing. And fire came out! Oh the torment of the urinary tract infection--nothing turns me into a whimpering ball of wimp faster. I had been through this same pain last year, so I rifled through the medicine cabinet and found the two bottles they prescribed me with two pills each left over. (Remember being told to take all of your prescription to avoid relapses? What do they know?) So I took the first, sulphameth, to cure the infection. And I took the other for the spasms. The bottle said Guaifen PSE, so I downed that one too. I ran to the bathroom again and this time there was a little blood, so I called in to work and went back to bed, sleeping until nearly 11.

The spasms weren't stopping and I still hurt really bad--and when I woke up from my nap the first thought I had was, man my upper lip is stinging! I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and there was the Phantom of the Opera looking at me. My upper lip (just the left side too--so stupid) was swollen up like a wasp had stung me. Somewhere in my mind a second guesser started pushing me to check out that pill online. So I looked up the Physician's Desk Reference online, and found out Guaifen was what they prescribed me the time I had the really bad chest cold. It was a decongestant. And my lip had swollen then too but we thought maybe something had bit me while I was sleeping so much. The pill causing it--that never occurred to us. But now according to the PDR, I see that people allergic to Guaifen can have swelling in their lips, tongue, and even throat.

Talk about feeling dumb. I made an appointment to see my doctor for both the UTI and the allergic reaction. I called in to work again on Thursday since I was still pretty wimpy. But by Friday I needed to go back. My lip was still swollen, three days after I took the medicine. It had blistered against my tooth, so I asked my supervisor if I could work computer issues instead of taking calls. No. So I took about 70 phone calls Friday, and so here it is, Saturday. My lip is still swollen, blistered, and my tongue has blisters too from overcompensating while I talked on the phone. Sweetie has been really kind in taking care of me. He brought me ice cream when I couldn't chew anything. And tonight I was so hungry I started crying because I couldn't chew the little turkey bites I had microwaved. He cut them in tiny little pieces for me. That helped. I have no patience and trying to chew a soft taco shell took me an hour, so now I am aggravated and hungry and sore. And my lip is still swollen.

Take all your meds. Or throw them away.