Thoughts for the day

[windlion]

The psychology of being sick must be interesting.  I'm perfectly willing to accept that feeling queasy, feverish, headachey, or generally under the weather is sick.  Colds, coughs, runny noses, sinusitis, and bronchitis is sick.  Diarrhea and other digestive tract issues are messy, but also sick.

But UTI?  For some reason it didn't particularily register on the radar.  It's perfectly comparable to bronchitis, really- bacterial infection of a major organ, extremely uncomfortable, disrupts one's lifestyle, and is the forerunner for a potentially deadly condition.   Now that I've acknowledged that it /is/ comparable, I now perform a mental doubletake.  "Oh, I guess I am sick.  Huh."

Also- if you are sick, you're willing to accept any escalating symptoms so long as you think it might be normal, or believe it will go magically go away shortly.  You can endure them for any prolonged period of time as well, so long as you think there's nothing that can help.  But there's nothing worse, psychologically speaking, to find out that yes, this is wrong, and there is something that will help - and /then/ try and endure the symptoms again.

That was Monday.  Good times, good times.

Turns out I'm growing some friendly e.coli.  Perfectly normal and common bacteria, except, mine's super e.coli!  The results of the lab tests showed that my batch was resistant to the common antibiotic they put me on.  So- this resulted in a complete return of symptoms once I was done with the three day course of those antibiotics.  I had to scramble about on Monday to get back to the infirmary and get a new prescription for something that works.  Bonus being, now that I've had these bacteria crawling around in me for so long, I'm on a 7 day course, just to make sure we weed everything out.

And that, hopefully, shall conclude the situation.

Other random thought of the day: there's a certain poise and balance in every movement when you feel as if you could be knocked over with a feather.  Not grace, certainly, but a measured pace.  That would be how I feel stumbling about campus after actually exercising for the first time in two weeks.  It's a good thing, though- and I have more coming!

I had riding and fencing today- and I must say I probably sucked at both, having been away for awhile and never excelling to begin with, but it feels good to actually be back in again.  Riding. . . I'm lucky that I get to have a second crack at it this week, in a make-up lesson on Thursday.  I'll be happy to have a cooperative horse that isn't lame, and maybe feel like I know what I'm doing if it doesn't go bucking around the ring.  (Thank you, Traveller.  Because I couldn't have inferred you were annoyed from the pinned ears and prancing, you definitely needed to buck and take off, too.)

Fencing is interesting, because we're doing a myriad of different things.  There's stretching, footwork drills, then we split into SCA and Collegiate fencing to learn new things.  And for SCA, after learning bits and pieces of things (basics, really), we go on to do combat in lines, melee, and games.   It's fun, but it's also no holds barred (within the rules), so that means that if you're a beginner, you're going to get your ass very thoroughly kicked repeatedly by the masters.  In SCA terms- you die.  A lot.

It's frustrating, entertaining, and informative by turns.  I seem to have been selected by one of the more experienced fencing instructors as a student who needs more tutoring, since he takes it upon himself to drag me away from the rest of the crowd and proceed to give me lessons.  Primarily by going "You can attack any time now.  Really.  I couldn't possibly be more open."  I die in spades, then- but at least he'll go "So, what were you doing?  Was that really a good idea?" and "Move faster!"   I also hear "Again!" quite a bit.   But it's helpful, and I appreciate my impromptu sensei, especially since I'm apparently not as quick a learner as the others around- and am definitely not as agressive as a I ought to be when fighting.

I might learn.  Eventually.

It occurred to me today that about the only thing I have to do to induce the proper aggressive berserker mindset is tell myself that my opponent has killed my horse.

And the sad thing is, that would work better than "You killed my father.  Prepare to die."

. . . Hurrah for animal people with mixed-up priorities. ^_^;

I definitely should be going now.  Wasted day, but sleep is never a bad thing. . .

Comments

[flidgetjerome.livejournal.com]

It occurred to me today that about the only thing I have to do to induce the proper aggressive berserker mindset is tell myself that my opponent has killed my horse.
And the sad thing is, that would work better than "You killed my father. Prepare to die."

I should really be saying something sympathetic and meaningful, but the first thing that popped up in my head was:-

"You killed my mecha. Prepare to die."

I'm sure you can guess who.