Just breathe

Quickie post, as I need to get to bed. I'm still trying to get 9-10 hours sleep (or at least being in bed; I tend to lie awake a lot on this particular antibiotic) until the rest of the ick clears out of my chest.

And there is plenty of ick -- I made it through Monday and Tuesday by the great good fortune of their both being short shooting days for me, and kept getting worse until I landed at the doctor's office Thursday morning with a verdict of bronchitis, laryngitis, and sinus infection. Yay me?

Five days and lots of pills later, I'm about a thousand percent better but still barely talking almost normally and feeling pressure with every breath. Scary. Especially with an opera concert this Saturday night (thankfully, I'm only singing in one relatively easy ensemble number) and a long shooting day tomorrow, playing a home hospice care nurse in a quirky little film called Anosmia.

My relationship with my instrument -- my body -- begins with two things: My spine and my breath. Most of the techniques in my actor toolbox that get used the most have breathing at their core. Heck, when I was a kid, I had a recurring nightmare about drowning. So it's always scary when I can't breathe as freely as I'm accustomed to, especially when it lasts for any amount of time.

I marked through rehearsal tonight and managed to hit all the pitches, so I should be able to pull off Saturday night more or less sounding like I should, even if it feels all wrong. But I'll be much happier when it feels right again.

Chipmunk Girl has left the building!

Or mostly, anyway. There's still a little puffiness around my jaw, but I only notice it because I know my face. Also, hooray for being able to open my mouth all the way! Should make it a heckuva lot easier to have a voice lesson tomorrow. Also means I can see where the wisdom teeth came out from, and man was I right about there not being enough room in my jaw! I don't know where the heck four more teeth were anchored! Am both apprehensive and excited about seeing an orthodontist once it's all healed. I've had this traffic jam in my mouth for so long, it's going to be strange not to have them so crowded that I slice through dental floss at least three times before I get them all.

Meanwhile, I have a completely irrational craving for a chili cheese dog. *facepalm*

Curiously, hurting more today than it has the last couple. Mostly stitches pulling, I think. Which makes me very glad the Vicodin doesn't loop me out to speak of, because I have stuff to get done, darnit. Have been itching to sing, and planning to give it a shot for a while tonight. The poor voice is like "Okay, cold and then sinus infection and then wisdom teeth... Are we DONE with all this stuff now? Can we get on with business plzkthx?" I really wanted to be in solid vocal shape before we started Suor Angelica, darnit, but that just wasn't in the cards. Ah, well.

Also need to start sketching for Shrew. And must go over to Chicago Actors Studio and get registered early next week. But those are for after BigBabyBrother's wedding this weekend, which, yay!

Next week. *deep breath * Next week will be NORMAL craziness. ;-D