I’ve been feeling increasingly unwell throughout the week. At first, I thought it might just be allergies, given the changing seasons and living in a rural area. I’ve tested myself for Covid multiple times, but the results keep coming back negative. Whatever this is, it feels worse than Covid. Normally, I can push through sickness and get things done, but for the past couple of days, I’ve been mostly confined to bed. The coughing has been so intense that my ribs are sore, and talking has become both painful and difficult.

Microsoft Designer: Image Prompt

Create an image of a tired, unwell person lying in bed, struggling with intense coughing and soreness. The scene should show blankets draped around them, and two calm dogs nearby—one energetic brown pitlab dog being calmed by a hand gesture, and the other a corgi. Above the bed or subtly in the background, incorporate surreal, dreamlike elements of computer code woven into the blankets, reflecting the character’s exhausted mind processing their illness like data. Use muted colors like soft blues and grays for a feeling of fatigue, with a faint glow around the code-like elements to add a surreal touch.

I reached out to my doctor, and I’m now on Cefuroxime Axetil and Benzonatate. The doctor suspects it could be laryngitis or bronchitis.

I only get up to let the dogs outside and feed them. Thankfully, I’ve trained them to respond to non-verbal cues, so I don’t need to shout to get them back inside. Gwinn, who’s usually full of energy and wants to play, can be calmed with simple hand signals, which has been a relief.

My dreams have been strange, too. I keep dreaming about arranging my blankets in “code” to optimize web requests and process data, only to wake up and see just one blanket. Even in the dreams, I realize I’m dreaming, but they feel like waking nightmares—exhausting in their own way. What often wakes me is not being able to catch my breath before coughing, and somehow the coughing becomes part of the “code.”

I’m hoping whatever this is clears up soon.