So.

I gave up and went back to the doc--yet again--yesterday.  I saw the same PA who diagnosed my pneumonia almost 3 weeks ago.

I explained my symptoms: persistent, nasty, nagging, horrible cough that was keeping me up at night, making me cough so hard I would literally be sick, and the re-emergence of two troubling symptoms: a low-grade fever and back pain.

I panic about persistent back pain these days.  Mostly, ever since I got diagnosed with pneumonia in March of 2010 and discovered that my "pulled muscle" from what I thought was the stomach flu was really pleurisy: a painful inflammation of the protective pleura that surrounds the lungs, where the pneumonia had reached so deep into the lung (which lacks nerves) that the infection pushed against the pleura (which makes up for all the nerves the lungs don't have, and in spades).  That can be some severe pain, and I have absolutely ZERO desire to experience it again.  And since the back pain remained at the same general level throughout the day yesterday, and didn't unkink itself, I didn't think I could chalk it up to sleeping not-quite-right.

I was worried the pneumonia had reasserted itself.

Would not happen, the PA said.  "You've had enough antibiotics to kill a horse."  (If you're interested, that's 400mg of Avelox once a day for two full weeks.  Your new fact of the day.)

Yeahwell.  March 2010's pneumonia misadventures landed me in the hospital for six days (five of which were in the PCU, the ICU step-down unit) and on FOUR different antibiotics by the time all was said and done: Zithromax in a doubled course to finish out the prescription I'd been given two days before (pathetic though it was in its effects); IV Avelox, Vancomycin and Rocephin; and another two weeks of Avelox in pill form once I got off the IV stuff.

Don't mind me if I'm a bit paranoid.

He said I was almost to the point of needing steroids for the cough...almost.  Since I wasn't wheezing, I didn't need them.  However, he planned to aggressively treat the cough.  If I thought the cough syrup with codeine tasted bad, the new stuff he prescribed would taste worse.  He advised me to try to not take it more than the twice a day he wrote the script for, since it had Vicodin in it.  (Yee-haw.)  And then he put me on the same prescription Mom always gets for cough, Tessalon Pearls.

I realize I'm only one day into the new med treatment, but my back is even more sore today, and coughing tonight just rips through the muscles with screaming pain.

I don't like that at all.

I believe I'll be calling the doctor's office tomorrow and leaving a message for my PCP.

On the plus side, I managed to get through today, which has been my big goal, juuuuuuuuuust in case this gets worse and I need more medical help than just prescriptions.

Because, you see, today the twin Fries turned five.  This was a Big Deal.  Small Fry burst into our room this morning, fairly quivering with glee.  "Daddy, awre we five?  Is it our birfday?"  Happy shrieks abounded when Hubby confirmed that this was indeed their birthday.

The much-beloved Gramma and Boppa came out for a quick, abbreviated party (Boppa had NCCSE choir rehearsal to get to), and so we had cake and presents, Boppa bid us all a fond farewell, and then Gramma went out to dinner with us at a restaurant of the twins' choosing.  They chose a favorite spot, the GV Diner, and most of the waitresses there know us by sight and are just in love with the Fries.  Thus, they were very disappointed to find out about our reason for celebration only as we were leaving.

It's been a good day.

Medium and Small are five and loving it.

I can hardly believe they're five already.

I'll post pictures later, after I have a chance to catch my breath!