So it wasn't asthma...

I've had walking pneumonia for about two-and-a-half weeks.

Good times. ;)

I went to a doctor yesterday, and she issued a very strong lecture.

"When you first started experiencing shortness of breath and chest pain when you inhaled, why didn't you go see a doctor?"

::crickets::

I admit that I'm very stubborn about my health. Given Mom's health, Dad's health, and my own brother's occasional struggle to stay healthy, I'm very wary of doctors, hospitals and prescription medications. I worry that if I take a strong antibiotic for something like a sinus infection, my body will be less able to fight off a worse illness later in life.

To be fair, I do take a lot of preventative measures. I get a flu shot like clockwork every year. My biggest vice is caffeine. I stick to over-the-counter pain relievers and decongestants.

But yes, I do feel like an idiot at the moment. However, I am an idiot who is starting to feel better. I'm no longer light-headed when I inhale.

I know that Ochsner Baptist (the new name for the infamous Memorial Hospital) has a murky reputation stemming from the euthanasia allegations against Anna Pou and her nursing staff in the immediate aftermath of Katrina, but the staff at the LSU Medical Center there is great. They were very professional and kind, and moreover, they're dedicated to being a teaching hospital for LSU and Tulane medical students, which I liked. They were thorough in their questions, careful in the tests they performed, and efficient in transmitting my prescription for an anti-inflammatory to the Rite Aid near the house.

The one comic moment came when they were doing an EKG to check my heart - the nurse couldn't get the sensors to stick to my chest. When the doctor came in to ask if the test were complete, the nurse said, "No! Her boobs are too big for the sensors to stick!"

It was then that I knew it was really time to join the gym I've been promising to join for 4 months.