...and the bad stuff

I ended up on an IV drip for 4 days last week.

Like I said, it started Sunday, after a great weekend. I didn't sleep through the night, just tossed and turned and ended up 'resting' with my head on my comforter folded up at the end of my bed - feet where my pillows are. Finally, as dawn broke and I realized I hadn't slept and the pain was not getting any better, I used a lifeline and called Sista K and asked her if she could drive me to the hospital before she went to work. Of course she did.


Sadly, now whenever I have stomach pains I instantly think I'm having a gall stone attack. One might think, "A strange reaction for someone without a gall bladder." But not for me. After having this nastily named organ removed some years ago I had a terrible attack 3 years later. The doctor said that either one had been left in my bile duct (which I still tote) or that my liver had started to produce them (oh joy).

It seems my body does not take kindly to having bits of it removed. When I was seven I had my tonsils taken out and for years afterward I had terrible sore throats that my doctor just treated as strep throat. Then I went to another doctor who told me my tonsils were swollen. My mother and I looked at each other, and then at the doctor. "But I don't have tonsils. I had them taken out when I was seven." (I still remember the pre-op talk in the play room, the screaming baby with the broken arm whom I shared a room with, the shots I endured, the trips to the popsicle freezer and the Everly Brothers record I was given as a get well gift). How could I possibly have had swollen tonsils? Her answer, "They can grow back." Good to know.

But back to the latest trip. I had to also call my co-worker from the hospital to tell her I couldn't come in to work. After she finished teaching our class on her own, she came right to the hospital and filled out all the forms and translated as much as possible for me and the doctors. I had endless tests done and they ruled out gall stones. Great! So then what the heck was this pain caused by. Seems there's a nasty virus going around, I just happed to get it good!!

The stuck me on an IV, found a room for me and said that I'd most likely be out the next morning.

...3 days later, I was still hooked up to an IV, begging to go home. Honestly, I'm glad they kept me in and were thorough about the treatment -having a fever for 3 days isn't fun and not being able to eat or drink anything for 3 days was less fun.

BUT the LEAST fun was sitting there, in a hospital room all day, and all night. They gave me a single room because apparently this bug is pretty contagious so I had no distractions besides the cleaning lady who came in everyday to wash my floors.

I was saved from boredom Tuesday by my wonderful neighbors who brought me goodies to play with and read. Johhny P brought me "Young Years", my absolute favorite children's book that he brought to Japan with him. When he unpacked that from his bag the day he arrived, I knew we would be friends forever! Well, I read it cover to cover (over 350 pages of nursery rhymes, poems, fables, children's stories and poems) in about a half a day. The second best thing he brought me was a deck of cards. Yay to my grandmother for teaching how to play a thousand different versions of solitaire.

But by Wednesday I was done with being in the hospital -but my doctors didn't agree. My co-workers came to see how I was, but that was a whole 10 minute visit and then it was back to me, myself and I. I was finally allowed to take a shower Wed night (they freed me from the IV for the night too) and I ate a bit that day, but all I wanted to do was be home. Thursday morning came and I convinced them I could eat solid food on my own (I ate just enough of the disgusting hospital food to do this and not a bite more). They gave me one last giant IV drip which took forever to finish, and then Sista K came and rescued me!

I was home Thursday afternoon, took Friday off just to be sure, and was feeling pretty normal by Saturday. It's now Sunday, exactly one week later, and I have two full weeks of work left before my holidays start. I think I can handle it!

So thanks to Sista K, Johnny P and Rob for coming to see me while I was 'incarcerated'. I'm sure I was a big ray of sunshine for you the first day you came!! What would I do without you guys? And thanks to all who sent me text messages and e-mails this past week, they were very much appreciated.

Back to work!