I took an unexpected vacation the past few days. As I lay konked out on my couch or in bed, I had to analyze what was going on. It took me several days to figure out the sudden overwhelming fatigue.

I’d been to Urgent Care because I woke up to a voluminous (another V word!) left calf compared with my right. I was certain I had a blood clot. I’d been on planes a lot lately, so even though I calf pump religiously when I fly, I was sure I had sprouted a clot.

A problem was there was no redness or warmth on the left calf, the usual major signs. It was just large. But as I read up about calves and clots, I learned I could have a stroke, thus the trip to Urgent Care.

I explained my fat calf to the nurse. He said they didn’t do Dopplers at Urgent Care, so if the PA thought I needed one, he would tell me. The PA came in–a young man about 50 and immediately said he loved 82-year-old women. I loved him back. Immediately. Even though he wasn’t my type.

He measured both calves. Sure enough. The left was one centimeter larger in diameter. My mind traveled back 0ver 60 years when I learned conversions. One inch = 2.54 centimeters. So obviously my vision was off, because one centimeter would be hardly visible. I looked again and turned my feet inward a centimeter toward each other and the voluminosity almost disappeared. I reached down to pinch my left calf and satisfied myself that it was muscle. Probably from walking at least 500 steps a day lately.

The PA was very observant. Notably, that’s his job. But he called attention to a deep scratch mark lower down on my leg and determined it may be infected and I should take an antibiotic. And, if I was too worried about having a clot, I could go downtown to the ER and get a Doppler test. I said I trusted his judgement and didn’t want to spend my day in the ER. So I went to Walgreen’s instead and bought my antibiotic for about $3.00.

An hour or so after my first dose, I sat down. A mistake, because I rarely got up for four days. I figured I had long Covid, but I’ve never had Covid that I’m aware of. So why would I lose strength so quickly and completely? I canceled all plans and had no choice but to give in to it.

On the morning of the third day, I read the side effects of the antibiotic. Fatigue could be one of them. So I chose that to be the cause.

Now I’m on my sixth day, and I have found a sudden cure. Yesterday afternoon, I had an iced chai. Whatever is in chai, it’s a miracle. I haven’t slept since.

As someone has said, sleep is overrated. Tell my bed that! It missed having me lumped into the bedding. My bed doesn’t like this tossing and turning that must be the result of the iced chai. Now, I’m expecting to collapse anytime without warning.

All in all, this wasn’t the most exciting vacation I’ve ever taken. The photo below, taken in Israel almost six years ago, was more exciting when my camel suddenly dropped to his knees, and I thought my demise was near.

Concluding, I loved all my time on the couch and in bed. It gave me even more time to think and obsess which my regular readers know I love to do. Just another few days of my life at 82!