Worn Out

Since returning from France on June 16, I have had a debilitating cough. For the first week and a half, it was a dry cough. I would hack and hack as if I were going to cough up my kidneys, but nothing was expelled.

Last week I saw a GP who prescribed antibiotics. They didn't seem to do anything, so I visited another GP a few days ago. He felt I don't have an infection but rather heartburn. He said that sometimes heartburn manifests as a dry cough. This didn't ring true to me; this sure seemed like an infection.

On Monday I saw my acupuncturist, Dr. Mai, who diagnosed it as a wind-dryness syndrome. He treated me with needles and moxibustion, saying that there was a lot of congestion in my lungs, whereas the GP had said there was none. The acupuncturist made a whole lot more sense to me. He gave me herbs too. By that night, I was already feeling my chest loosen up, as if it might be possible some day to expel some phlegm.

The last few nights have been rough, with a tremendous amount of coughing, but not that violent, wretching-up-my-innards cough. A manageable cough.

I so want to get over this infection so that I can get back to cardiac rehab. I want my heart to be in top shape for transplant surgery, which I am still hoping will take place this summer.