Be Careful With Bleach

You know that commercial that says, "We all do stupid things." Yeah, I can vouch for that. So, it seems that last weekend when I was doing laundry I used way too much bleach (or possibly had an allergic reaction to a new detergent). When I woke up from a nap last Sunday afternoon, I must have inhaled some residual fumes from my sheets and pillows because my throat felt constricted and I was having shortness of breath. After experiencing this for a couple hours (and also coughing just once but vomiting when I did), I called Sandy Knockengost for a professional opinion, and Karl graciously came and took me to the ER. They checked me out and everything appeared fine so they gave me some bendaryl and sent me home, anticipating that things would clear up by the hour and be gone in a day. Well, Tuesday morning I still had the same symptoms. I tried to see my regular doctor, but he was out of town so I saw an (inexperienced) associate. He diagnosed it as just a sore throat (pharyngitis) and told me to gargle with salt water and take cough drops. So Friday rolls around and I am still having trouble breathing so I see my regular doctor. He agrees that it probably was inhalation from the fumes. To my relief he says there is virtually no possibility of this causing permanent damage but that it might be another 3-5 days to clear up. He also gave me an inhaler which I have not used yet. I have felt significantly better the last couple days (I think being outside a few hours for the SOLI prayer meeting Thursday night helped), butI am still not 100% yet. I have definitely gained a healthier respect for the potency of household chemicals as well as an appreciation for those who suffer from asthma. There is perhaps no worse feeling in the world than not being able to breathe. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for a full and speedy recovery.