Coughing and Sneezing

I am in cold virus hell.  I don't think the cold symptoms are any worse because of the chemo but maybe the cold has hit me harder because my immune system is weaker than normal.  The symptoms are definitely made worse by pregnancy.  I am experiencing the same horrid cold symptoms any eight month pregnant woman would experience and it's not pretty.  My stomach muscles are so sore from coughing.  I cough so hard that my belly button turns into an outty.  I have to wear a pad just in case I cough or sneeze during a moment of weakness when I haven't tightened all my muscles down below.  My head is throbbing from my temples down to my jaw and my nose is getting raw from blowing it all day long.

Yesterday morning I had a particularly intense bout of coughing.  It caused sharp pain in my abdomen and pressure on my pelvis.  I wasn't concerned until I went to the bathroom and found that I was spotting.  I called my OB and she decided to put me on an antibiotic as a precaution and she told me to start taking Robitussin DM and cough drops immediately to get the cough under control.  After spending the day yesterday taking dose after dose of medicine for the cough and none of it helping, I took a hot shower and put some Vicks on my chest and the relief was immediate.  A glass of wine probably would have helped even more.  Today I'm still feeling horrible but slightly better after taking a nap.  No more spotting either.

John is in Texas all week for work and since I'm not functioning much at all, my parents have had to pick up the slack.  We have been blessed this week with unexpected help offered at the perfect times.  Yesterday Tobias' friend had him over for a play date which included a ride to and from soccer practice.  Today my mom's friend picked up Daphne and took her to a museum and for ice cream and my sister picked up the boys after school for a play date.  This evening I got a call from another family friend who wants to take all the kids out for frozen yogurt after school tomorrow.  A family from the kids' school lives around the corner from us and the boys get a ride home from school with them every day and that has been such a huge help to us.  These things have such a huge impact on all of us.  While I'm sick, John's out of town, my mom is busy preparing a lecture, and my dad is trying to finish renovating their investment property, my children have other people stepping in to love on them... and that is the greatest gift I could ever receive.