Posted by noa on February 22, 2004, at 9:51:07
In reply to Apathy or recovery? (could also be a chest cold), posted by socialdeviantjeff on February 22, 2004, at 1:48:33
Jeff,
First, I hope you get better really soon. It sounds rather awful.
Plus, although I'm not familiar with those particular medications the ER gave you for the pleuresy, but my hunch is that at least one of them has something like codeine in it? Or some kind of sedating ingredient. This alone could make you not care about much.
When I had coxsackie virus, which caused severe throat and ear pain (to the point that I was loathe to even swallow saliva let alone water or food), they gave me a sedating pain killer that only partially dulled the pain but it also made me totally not care that I felt pain! And, not care about much else, too. In fact, it kept me asleep most of the time.
I also wanted to share with you that when I have physical illness, it often affects my mood significantly. Just last week, I was feeling depressed one day and was attributing it to depressive illness, plus all the things I'm overwhelmed with in life and all my shortcomings, problems, etc. etc. Then, in the evening, I discovered I was physically sick--an intestinal sort of bug or something, with a slight fever. Despite not feeling well physically, at that point I was so relieved to have the physical explanation for my mood that my mood suddenly improved!
But my illness was minor and brief. You have been dealing with a lingering and painful respiratory infection, and besides, anything involving breathing and coughing, etc., I always find totally exhausting and draining and fatiguing.
So I don't know if this helps you---i.e., accepting that your mood is affected by the illness and that is OK and that it will get better hopefully as you recover from the illness.
The main thing is to just take care of yourself, allow yourself to indulge in TLC to give yourself the time and rest to recover.
Feel better!
poster:noa
thread:316384
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040218/msgs/316438.html