Yesterday I woke up to my usual seasonal affliction. It seems, every year, around October to December I end up with some sort of phlegm problem which usually turns into some sort of infection – chest infection was the best, it had me coughing so hard I thought my brain was knocked loose.

Don’t say it.

I try all sorts of different syrups and other medications to no avail. Eventually, I end up visiting the doctor and she prescribes some lovely antibiotics. These are a semi-synthetic because of my mild allergy to penicillin.

I’ll admit right now, I hate taking pills, not because I’m a martyr that feels he needs to suffer, I think it goes back to my childhood when I was visiting my grandparents. My grandfather’s breakfast consisted of 12 different pills, pills for one issue ended up with pills for the side effects of that pill and so on. I couldn’t help but think how horrible all that must taste while I was eating my toast drenched in honey. I guess the thought stuck with me.

So here’s a list of side effects; abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence (um yeah… I’m not sure if I’ll notice this side effect), headache (I have children, this isn’t a side effect, it’s standard issue), nausea, rash, taste perversion and vomiting. Of course, not listed are the warnings of finding blood in your vomit or stool in which case you should contact your doctor immediately. Reading some more of the side effects, it could possibly create some pretty hefty toxins in the body which cause a condition that results in further illness and a mild case of death.

Yay!

I usually get nausea, taste perversion (no, I don’t suddenly start liking men – there is a constant metallic taste in my mouth when I take this stuff) and vomiting, usually early morning or REALLY early morning. Okay maybe a little bit of diarrhea. I hope no one is reading this around breakfast, lunch or supper time… if so, you should know better dammit!

I think this year I’m going to skip ahead to talking to the doctor, assuming I can get an appointment. The thing that is pushing me over the edge is a slight pain in around where my appendix would be. I’m hoping it isn’t appendicitis.

That would suck.