When Mom gets sick....

I know, this has been a year of "Good grief, not again!", but well, it has been exciting, you know!
I was doing my usual thing Thursday night, dinner, dessert, get the little ones ready for bed, when after dinner my stomach felt achy. I asked Mr if he felt it too and he said,"Just a little". No one else seemed to have the pains that I was having so I chalked it up to "I guess I shouldn't have eaten the too sweet chocolate cake for dessert-a 3X3 piece!!!".

Well as time went on, I felt worse and worse so I decided to expediate the bedtime process. I was in bed right before 9 and if it weren't for the shortest person in my life climbing in and jumping across the bed, then I would have been asleep in 15 minutes. Feeling a sort of sea sicknessey, I got a glass of water and had a good, long sip. Ahhh, that was good- OHHH, it feels like knives stabbing me from within. Better lie down and rest a little bit. Falling asleep in pain, I tossed and turned for what seemed like hours and hours until I woke up, sweating and still in pain. "Maybe it's my appendix?" Better drink some more water. OHHH, ARRGH, the pain! I can't take this anymore and slowly stumbled upstairs to ask Mr to take me to the hospital. ( I sleep in April's room because of my back, a bad mattress on my bed and a ship stuck at customs with my new mattress on it!-long story.)
It was only 11:30!!
We called before we went and they were ready for me when I got there. They took the usual bodily fluid samples and had me wait awhile until the first test results came back and then they promptly hooked me up to an IV. They only tried 3 times and on the last and most painful try, I lost it. Nausea overtook me and well, I had to use a bucket! I have only thrown up 5 times in nearly 20 years and well, it's always quite memorable, but at least this time it was contained. In trying to describe what happened to the children, I said, "Do you remember how ...Zilla blows fire from his mouth? That was it- best description!" My oldest said, "That was probably why he attacked and destroyed everything- his stomach was hurt and he didn't get relief until he let it all out too!" Oh, what a laugh!

So they pumped me with 3 bags of fluid and some anti nausea meds, causing me to fall asleep.They did wake me up and ask for a urine sample to which I replied," I have plenty to give, you sure you want just a sample? That cup is not BIG enough!" But they also had some interesting conversations with me while I was in a semi-drugged state. Something about my liver tests coming back fine except one which they were going to retest in a few hours. And how did I let myself get so dehydrated? "I'm telling you, I have been desperately thirsty for the last 3 weeks-I called and talked to one of YOUR nurses about it! I'm drinking more than a gallon of water a day an am having NO results! I AM TRYING!!!" Okay then, what next?
SO in the middle of the night/early morning, a Dr in jeans, leather jacket and icy hands comes to talk to me and guess what? I can't tell you what he said to me because I was SO DROWSY.

And all of this time, MR was asleep on a chair across the room! He wake up briefly when one of the nurses came in to check on me or change my IV bag.
Morning came and I automatically woke up at 6:30. I roused Mr and said he had better get home and get the children out of the door-call your office so they don't think you are AWOL! He calls the office and splains the situation, then calls the house and makes sure the children are awake and thank the Lord, our oldest has them all awake and dressed. The nurse comes in and tells me that I can leave as soon as I feel up to it- no rush. They have to take the IV out and obtain one more sample.
Mr goes to get the children out to school and I lay around for a few after they unhook me from the IV. On with my clothes and my coat! Shoes- thank God for slip-ons! I slowly mosey to the nurses station after calling MR and telling him I'd meet him by the ER entrance at 08:00. The nurse on the morning shift, a sweet and caring woman, helps me to get a Gatorade and ride down the elevator for the long walk to the ER door. We had a nice conversation, she has 4 children also and their ages are spread out like mine. Sh reminds me NOT to drink any water for a day or two(too hard on the stomach-trust me, I KNOW, to take Tylenol for the pain and to REST(which is near impossible with a toddler).

MR and Chloe come and we head to the store for Gatorade and crackers and whatever else he is in the mood to buy.

Now back at home, I get comfy and doze off and on for nearly 8 hours! Whew, I didn't think one could be tired from resting, but it can happen!
They ask me about dinner and I tell them it's Elise night and she was making tuna burgers. When I finally make it downstairs, (if you are feeling ill, try not to traverse the stairs more than 3 times daily), and I get a look at the place, I have to close my eyes and whisper a prayer at the utter destruction. They had Burger King for breakfast and dinner. Yuck! Dishes everywhere, stuff on the floor- the banana peel on the carpet is what got me, coats lying around and just a mess. I am going to take a picture(where is the camera?), to show them that this is not the way WE live and since mom is sick, they need to keep up the house. I'll tell them that when I get better but now, I will step over the mess and try not to think of how many hours it will take for this place to get cleaned up!

Oh, my diet since Friday morning- Gatorade and TWO saltine crackers. I brushed my teeth and swallowed some water after rinsing my mouth- I thought there were knives in my stomach again!
Back to the Gatorade.........