I'm still catching up on my email and posting from last week, so if I haven't responded please don't take offense.
To make a long story short, on Thursday I thought I was going to die. Over the course of about twelve hours some minor abdominal cramping steadily escalated, accompanied by a soaring fever, nausea, and vomiting. By the time I finally went for professional treatment I was literally out of my mind with fever and pain.
The source of my trouble? Not some insidious growth or exotic condition, but a urinary tract infection. Something roughly half of the female population have to deal with at some point in their lives, but relatively rare among men. Thankfully, it can easily be treated with antibiotics. I'm home now, but I'll be recovering for a few days.
On the bright side, I now have a real appreciation for the term "fever dream". Right before I headed off to the clinic I was reportedly having a half-awake conversation with my home theater PC. 'Cause, you know, there were messages encoded in the blinking of the hard drive LED. For someone who doesn't do drugs, much less drink alcohol, that's some scary stuff.
