House of the Rising Sun / Waylon Jennings / 1964
Covid / Again
I’ve been sick for nearly 3 weeks.
That must almost be a record for me.
I’ve finally gotten over whatever was lodged in my sinus.
My headache and fever are also gone now too.
My last symptom?: tiredness. I’m tired all the time.
Initially, I thought this thing was Flu.
Now I’m sure it was Covid. Again.
But the Home Test Kit was inconclusive.
I paid the price for not getting another Covid shot.
Sunstroke / Avoid it
How long can you go without sleep?
This all reminded me I of the time I had sunstroke back in 1970.
I had just landed a road construction job for the City of Calgary –
I had just landed a road construction job for the City of Calgary –
a paving crew – shoveling asphalt.
Unfortunately, back then they had a policy against long hair –
so I had to get my hair cut off.
This proved disastrous.
The first 2 days I worked it was at least 85 degrees F. Absolutely scorching.
Unfortunately, back then they had a policy against long hair –
so I had to get my hair cut off.
This proved disastrous.
The first 2 days I worked it was at least 85 degrees F. Absolutely scorching.
I got severe sunburn on my arms, face and most notably
– the back of my neck.
Nobody used Sunscreen in those days.
This resulted in Sunstroke – though I didn’t know I had Sunstroke because
– the back of my neck.
Nobody used Sunscreen in those days.
This resulted in Sunstroke – though I didn’t know I had Sunstroke because
I didn’t even know such a thing existed. I’d never heard of it.
It’s deadly though, I can assure you.
It’s deadly though, I can assure you.
The Sunstroke totally destroyed my Central Nervous System.
The Sunburn itself was so bad that I would lie in the bathtub
with the water up to my neck.
This stopped the tremendous burning on my arms and neck.
The Sunburn itself was so bad that I would lie in the bathtub
with the water up to my neck.
This stopped the tremendous burning on my arms and neck.
But I figured everything would be fine after the burn went away
– which took a few days.
– which took a few days.
Boy, was I wrong.
The Sunstroke endured.
My newly destroyed Nervous System started to
profoundly affect my sleep –
whereby It often took me 4 hours just to get to sleep.
The Sunstroke endured.
My newly destroyed Nervous System started to
profoundly affect my sleep –
whereby It often took me 4 hours just to get to sleep.
Even after I got to sleep though, I did not get any rest.
You can imagine that pretty soon this started to break me down
– physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
It became a true Dark Night of Soul.
Unbelievably, however – get this – I kept right on working!
– shoveling that bloody asphalt – like being on a treadmill in Hell.
I didn’t miss a day.
I’m certain they were all betting I’d quit.
You can imagine that pretty soon this started to break me down
– physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
It became a true Dark Night of Soul.
Unbelievably, however – get this – I kept right on working!
– shoveling that bloody asphalt – like being on a treadmill in Hell.
I didn’t miss a day.
I’m certain they were all betting I’d quit.
But I didn’t.
What did happen however, was that I was becoming
progressively suicidal.
It wouldn’t stop and I didn’t know what was wrong with me?
What did happen however, was that I was becoming
progressively suicidal.
It wouldn’t stop and I didn’t know what was wrong with me?
Finally I went to a clinic to see if they could figure out what was going on?
They gave me a bunch of tests.
They gave me a bunch of tests.
Then the doc came to me and said, “Your nerves are completely shot.”
Not much of a Diagnosis Doc.
But they knew nothing about the horrific Sunstroke or Sunburn I’d suffered
– and the Sunstroke I was still experiencing.
Neither did I. I only figured it all out much later.
So … their conclusion?: Drug Abuse.
It wasn’t of course. So much for medical science.
Not much of a Diagnosis Doc.
But they knew nothing about the horrific Sunstroke or Sunburn I’d suffered
– and the Sunstroke I was still experiencing.
Neither did I. I only figured it all out much later.
So … their conclusion?: Drug Abuse.
It wasn’t of course. So much for medical science.
Their solution?: a prescription for Valium 5.
You can definitely say I thought this was totally asinine.
You can definitely say I thought this was totally asinine.
But what could I do?
I went to the drug store and bought the Valium.
I went to the drug store and bought the Valium.
I took it … and incredibly, almost immediately, it fixed me.
My screwed up nerves finally settled down
– and for the first time in months I was able to get some sleep.
Blessed Rest.
My screwed up nerves finally settled down
– and for the first time in months I was able to get some sleep.
Blessed Rest.
GOD … what an ordeal that was.
I paved roads for 7 years.
That’s a lot of Bad Karma.
That’s a lot of Bad Karma.
And now … I’m always ultra cautious of the Sun.
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You finally got me to make appointments for Garry and I to get that last shot. I’ve had two really bad reactions. This time, though, it’s not Moderna. It’s a Pfizer shot so I’m hoping it won’t try to kill me this time.
Very sorry to hear that Marilyn.
We’ve had Pfizer. I’ve had no problem so far, but have
heard other people say Moderna can make you sick.
I’m going to make another Pfizer appointment because
this damn thing is not going away like we thought
it would.
Glad your over your COVID, JC. Even if you had gotten that booster shot, you might have still got the virus; but not probably as severe and for a shorter time.
I drove a paving truck for about two weeks and decided that work in the packinghouse was a lot better.
Hope you are all well over there Don. This thing is still around for sure.
The paving crews I worked on were ‘Hand Crews’ / Patching Crews. We had no
none of those huge paving machines. It was hand shoveling off the back of a
tandem. It was all carefully crafted for maximum pain. LOL. Those guys up
there know exactly what they’re doing.
I had sunstroke a couple of times as a child before we got more intelligent about covering ourselves and realizing that even when sun isn’t HOT, it’s still SUN. What I didn’t know what that there was a long-term effect. That’s new information.
It was murder I can tell you. If I hadn’t been a young buck I don’t know that I could taken it.
I could tell what was happening with the sunburn, but my only choice to either quit or endure. I didn’t or know about sunstroke though – and nobody seemed to give a crap. It was definitely a Karmic setup. I had to go through it. All things that we go through are for Spiritual purposes. It sure ain’t easy.
My circumstance was unique. I was forced to endure the situation. Under normal circumstances anyone would have been able to avoid it.
I am very sorry that you have been ill with either Covid or the flu. I hope you are recovered from this virus. It is very hard to know what virus is going around during the winter.
Thank You Quinn. I’m OK. I’m really a tough bird, but it’s like Spock said in ‘The Wrath of Khan’: “They knew exactly where to hit us.”
Sorry to hear you got ill again, but it’s good that you seem to be on the mend. It’s a difficult period what with Covid, Flu and God knows what other bugs circulating.
That sunstroke episode sounds absolutely horrendous!
I was a young fool Colin.
Fortunately I was a young or I don’t think I’d be around right now.
“Covid”. I think a lot of us figured this thing would have gone away by now.
But it looks like it’s ‘here for keeps’ in our Brave New World.