Under the Weather

Hey friends!

I'm sorry for the long hiatus; I've been feeling a little under the weather. Last week, I wasn't feeling well. I had a cough, a fever, a headache, and my chest hurt every time I took a breath. I was also super tired and was ready to go back to sleep 30 minutes after I got up each morning.  As the week went by and I felt worse and worse, the frequency of "my life is pathetic and I'm going to cry" moments was steadily increasing. If you know me at all, you know that I hate complaining, even if I have a legitimate reason to do so. So, in true Maya fashion, I dealt with the sick feeling for about 4 days until I decided that enough was enough and that I should probably go see a doctor. I wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong with my heart or lungs, and I knew that no matter how many times WebMD told me I was okay/ had lung cancer/ cooties and/or the flu, I should probably talk to an actual  healthcare provider. So, off to urgent care I went.

My "I should be feeling better but I'm back at the Dr.'s office" face.
(via Twitter)

After getting my heart and lungs checked out and posing for my 9th glamour shot chest x-ray (they  just can't get enough of my lungs), the Dr. concluded that, based on my pleuritic symptoms and my x-ray, I had some sort of infection which was probably pneumonia. He prescribed me Avelox, one of the strongest antibiotics he could give me and sent me on my way. Obviously, I couldn't leave without getting a souvenir. On my way out, I stopped at the kid's counter and I laid eyes on a lovely batman sticker. The nurse kind of laughed at me when I asked for it, but I was not ashamed. Yes, I'm 22. Yes, I just asked the nurse for a sticker. And if there were a prize box, I would have totally taken them up on that offer. What do you expect? I've been spoiled by Phoenix Children's Hospital. Sorry I'm not sorry.

My super strong antibiotic has been doing its job without any major side-effects except for photosensitivity. This, my friends, is a relief, when you consider the other possible side-effects this drug might cause:

• Central Nervous System effects
• Serious allergic reactions
• Skin rash
• Serious heart rhythm changes
• Intestine infection
• Nerve damage
• Tendon rupture

I freaked out when I read all the possible side-effects (2-pages worth) and then prayed that the Dr. knew what he was doing and that he had determined that the benefits of taking Avelox outweighed all the risks.

I've been feeling better every day, although my cough is still there and I'm still a little fatigued. However, things are looking up! I felt so great that I went for a little walk/hike with my sister on Sunday* (and then immediately went home and took a 3-hour nap). Here are some pictures to prove it:

My sister/ chauffeur at the trailhead

Stupa in the distance (it's so small!)

Made it!  

Maya: 1, Pneumonia: 0

Beautiful scenery

* For our walk/ hike, we went to the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Garden in Sedona. If you're ever visiting Sedona, this is a must see. It's a beautiful park that lends itself to silence, prayer and reflection, no matter what religion you identify yourself with. It's handicap accessible, in case you don't have the ability or energy to make the trek up.