HAPPY NEW YEAR! *COUGH COUGH*

Okay, you know, I have to say that 2004 isn't exactly starting out as I was hoping! The end of 2003 was perfect - relaxing, beautiful, carefree, fun, and exciting. Five days in to 2004 and I've been to see three doctors. :-(

I felt great on New Year's Eve until our plane took off and my ears got really uncomfortable and blocked. And then on New Year's Day, in the evening, I had what 2 out of the 3 doctors is convinced was an asthma attack. It was pretty scary as it was at night, so couldn't go to the doctor and I made myself stay awake all night cause I was worried I might stop breathing or whatever. The first doctor prescribed me an inhaler straight away and looked in my ears and said I had wax in them...so he cleaned out the wax, but I told him my left ear was still blocked and he was like, "Yeah, there's probably water in there" and sent me on my way without saying much about the asthma thing - hello, how can you tell someone they have asthma and not explain anything about it???

So stupid me gets on the internet on Friday to read about asthma - I mostly succeeded in freaking myself out, which is not the best thing when you are already finding it hard to breathe. I did not go to work today as I was still feeling lousy and I decided to go back to the doctor (another one) as my ear is still blocked and I'm still feeling shitty and very congested. I have a hacking cough and am all phleghmy, but I read on some medical website that a chesty mucousy cough indicates the end of the asthma attack, so that sounded hopeful. But then the doctor told me that I have an upper respiratory infection in addition to water trapped in my middle ear. It was at this point that I wondered if I should still have kids one day as I'm not sure it's fair to pass on my pathetic immune system to my children! ;-)

The first doctor I saw today wants me to use this nasal spray to try to get the water in my middle ear to drain out and said it may take another couple weeks to drain and if not, to come back in. He said to keep taking the asthma inhaler throughout the upper respiratory infection (as I'm more prone to getting another attack while I have this) and to keep taking it from here on in, 2x a day.

After that I went to see my new friend Kevin, who is also a doctor, and he took the time out to talk to be about asthma etc. and said I should not be so sure it was definitely asthma - it is possible I could have just had an allergic reaction. So who knows - but he gave me some suggestions and everyone is in agreement it is a good idea to keep using the inhaler for now, at least. Perhaps when I get some medical insurance I can go see an allergy/asthma specialist! Anyway, it was nice to have a doctor take time out to actually talk to me about this stuff, unlike the first doctor in particular, who told me jack sh*t and just handed me a prescription!

Hopefully I can go to work tomorrow, but I'm super tired and if I go in, I will probably take a taxi as I get out of breath just talking, nevermind walking to work. I swear, if the elevator is broken, I am going staight home again! ;-)

I got an email from Naomi - a super nice Japanese girl from my Monkey Mia tour. She sent so many great photos of the Monkey Mia group - I got all nostalgic - back when I was having heaps of fun in WA, and breathing oh so easily! I also got an email from this very cool German girl from my Perth hostel who I might catch up with next week.

Two other people fom my Monkey Mia tour will be coming to Syd in the next couple weeks too, so we can hopefully catch up and get all nostalgic once again.

Oh, and if anyone out there has ever been through the whole, "Is this asthma? Is it an allergic reaction? What the hell is going on?" thing - please feel free to lori@butterflynet.tvlet me know if you have any suggestions!