A couple of weekends ago, I called the Fryeburg Health Care center to reschedule a show there. I was tired and coughing a lot, and just felt like this was not something that I should bring into a nursing home with many elderly and ill people. The next morning Sue and I had a show at the Somerset County Jail (See prior blog). We kept the gig, but the cough was worse. All the following week it got worse and worse. The week ended with the my school's talent show on Friday night. I was scheduled to do two routines in the show, and I kept the commitment. Sucking on a cough drop right up until I was introduced to go on stage, I did the show.
That led into the next weekend. we were kept busy with our church's mission conference. We hosted our guest missionaries at our house for lunch on Saturday, and I went to the men's dinner that evening. But I knew I was getting worse, and my cough was rather disruptive during the after dinner presentation.
Monday morning I was scheduled to do the elementary chapel service at the school where I teach. I felt miserable, but I headed to work, assuming I'd feel better once my day got started. I set up for chapel, but I knew things were not getting better when I planned a half hour show with no juggling at all; just magic. I am a juggler first (well, after husband, father, friend, disciple... After that I'm a juggler first) so to leave it out of a show entirely has never happened before. I just didn't have the strength. I did the show, and had a lot of fun with the kids, but there was no going up to my classroom. I turned things over to my very competent aide, Amanda, and called the doctor.
I finally got in at 2:00 PM, so I spent the day on the couch watching reruns of Cold Case on Netflix. After a few minutes, Dr. Barter was able to diagnose me with walking pneumonia, and I was sent home with a prescription in hand. I had this once before in 2008. We were travelling to Kentucky for a week of performing, and I was running a fever of 102. The fever broke the day our first show was scheduled. This time, I missed two more days of school, spending my time mostly sleeping and coughing. I returned to work on Thursday and Friday; no more fever, I was able to stay awake, but my hacking cough from the depths of my lungs continued day and night.
On Friday night, my wife and I went to a small group Bible study at a friends house. My friend, Alan, also happens to be a doctor. It was from him that I got the best advise I've received in months. Get rid of the Robittusin, boil water in a pan and breathe the steam deep into my lungs. He told me to cover my head with a towel and breathe the steam for 20 minutes at a time. Wow! What a difference this made. I am still doing it every day, and the cough is lingering, but it's nothing like it was.