Coughing up a lung

It's been 10 days. Ten miserable days. Ten miserable days of coughing. Coughing like if I had a 2-pack-a-day habit. Coughing that keeps you and everyone else around you up all night. Coughing like I'd hock up a monster-sized hairball. Cough, cough, cough and then nothing. I hack all night for nothing. It's not the flu. I don't have a fever or chills. It's just a cold. It's not even a sexy version of the cold. No sniffling, no runny nose, no watery eyes, no phlegm, no symptoms which can garnish sympathy or pity...just coughing and THEN a headache because of the strain on my brain. I've had to excuse myself from society - I don't want the guilt of knowing I transmitted this plague to others on my conscience. Perhaps, then I'll get to see the sun on day 11. Wish me luck.