Dan's disgusting medical saga

My fanbase has been clamoring for more descriptions of my medical ordeals. More detailed. More graphic. More, more, more!

Well, not really. But that's what this post is about, so don't say you haven't been warned.

My health has not been great since before we left the States for Brussels. Around Christmas, seven weeks ago, was the last time I was in prime health. Since then, my condition has bounced around a lot, up and down. My previous posts have generally taken place when I've been on the upswing, so they've been optimistic—perhaps even unrealistically so. But the truth is that it's been a long, tough ride, and in addition to being intrinsically physically unpleasant it's also been emotionally very difficult, a huge stressor at work and with the family.

In addition to going through approximately 3,212 tissues, I've also variously had lower back pain, dry cough, wet cough, fever, night sweats, insomnia, sinusitis, toothache, costiveness, and even a random and mild episode of epistaxis. Twice I went to the doctor, twice I got ultimately inconclusive blood tests, and twice I got put on antibiotics (I finish the second regimen tomorrow morning).

The good news is that, with 97% probability, the end is really in sight here. Last Thursday was the latest low point, having spent that day and previous days with sinus and tooth pain. I was ready to trade my kingdom for a neti pot, but was not able to do so—the pharmacists I visited had no idea what I was talking about. But time passed, and things got better. Since Friday (three days now) I've been feeling consistently pretty good, with runny nose (a likely side-effect of one of my prescription drugs) and occasional cough being about the worst of it. If I'm not 100% by the end of this coming week, I will (a) be extremely disappointed, and (b) probably cry.