[Content Disclosure: Illness, Malaise, Tedium, Life and a wee bit of poker]
I should like to warn all readers that this post borders on complete self indulgence. Indeed, the only saving grace may be my own struggle with the level of personal disclosure I can tolerate on this blog and the admission that I may now have reached beyond my own capacity for public disclosure. Be thou duly warned. You may now surf away without any punitive karmic damage.
Twas one year ago that I first noticed the signs of what I thought was just a cold. My nephew was visiting in Vegas and carrying with him a spring break rhinovirus, which I thought had latched onto me as its new host. What followed was first three months of the flu, then the lingering symptoms of the malingering crud and still today diminished ear function, nasal irritation and overall energetic malaise. In the words of some great philosopher: This sucks!
I missed a huge portion of the '08 World Series of Poker because I literally couldn't hear in a room full of 2,000 players shuffling millions of clay chips. I was able to make it to both of Mike's final tables and railed him for all six days of his run in the main event due only to the advances in modern pharmaceutical science. In addition, I have had three courses of antibiotics and several rounds of steroids. My ENT physician and his staff all know me by name; I am the large guy who paces the hall rather than sit in the waiting room crawling with three year olds irritable from earaches.
While I am in Northern California, I am having acupuncture and therapeutic manipulation for these symptoms plus my more acutely discomforting back and spine issues. Ah to be healthy again or at least to find a Ronco back machine on late night television that will fix all my problems and bring me wealth, happiness, love, peace and ripe fruit.
All right! Enough wallowing. Chin Up. Carry On and all that stiff upper lip bullshit. What's next?
