It could be worse.

I'm at a point where what is there but to laugh. Anyways, someone asked me how I was doing in another thread, so I thought I'd share.

A few months ago, during a project, I started to develop a cough. A quick bit of reading discovered Acid Reflux. I was under enormous pressure, for some valid, but other incredibly invalid reasons. Ultimately, I broke, mentally and physically. The WHO has 6 criteria for burnout, I have 5-1/2, which I guess is technically, all 6.

The cough got worse and when I went to my GI's office I couldn't climb a flight of stairs without difficulty breathing. I was put on 2 X normal PPI's, apparently forever. It's a short-term med. It's definitely better but the effects are still there. Good news is I've lost 13 pounds.

I also discovered that I have Barrett's esophagus, which elevates your risk of cancer.

In recognition of my stress, I took a month off. I imagine my employer figured I wouldn't come back. I went to Honolulu, and promptly got Covid. I thought it was the reflux. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I didn't realize it was Covid until I got back, otherwise it would have been 3 weeks in a Honolulu hotel. Unfortunately, I flew unmasked. I was certain it was the reflux.

I also got Poison Ivy because the prior renters of the car I rented apparently went hiking and got it all over my rental. I take solace that they might also have suffered.

My password manager was hacked (thank you LastPass) and I had to replace 200 passwords.

At the Dr's office for the poison ivy I had them run a full set of labs. Turns out I have several things going on. First, I have H Pylori, which increases the risk of stomach cancer, and the treatment is heavy doses of antibiotics. I've just come off of them and am starting to feel normal.

My blood levels were also off (iron too high, MCV and MCH, also ALT/AST). More tests but the risk is two things: blood cancer or Hemochromatosis. The doctor thinks I have the latter, the mild version, as my labs didn't point to blood cancer. It's a genetic thing that affects iron absorption. Treatment for either is blood letting and leeches (actually no leeches, but they do bloodletting). Hopefully, not for me, if I have the mild kind.

Finally, because this is California, my father was evacuated and had to spend 3 days with me. He doesn't like my house. I have YouTube tv and he couldn't figure out why I didn't have channels. He couldn't figure out the remote because it's Apple TV and it's a dial. The lights flummoxed him as well. The fastest I've seen him move in years was when I told him the orders were lifted and he could go home.

Oh, and we're forming a union at work, because, why not add to the stress.....

To be honest, this all amuses me. Now if my father would just stop worrying about the mail.