U Turn

You might have notice my absence here recently. My upswing I last mentioned took a sudden u-turn for the worse. I was feeling better from my cold on Saturday and was able to work on and finish a school project (thank goodness), but Saturday night I felt very tired and wanted to vege out with the t.v. As I was watching a movie, I started getting the chills and shivers. Frank put three blankets on me and I was still shaking. Also, I got all the other flu signs, fever, coughing, etc. I didn't leave the couch all night. Was having such a bad time the word hospital ran through my head but it was the middle of the night and I didn't want to have to wake Anna and have her freak out.

Sunday found me no better. I was still running through the fever cycle, chills, sweats, coughing, aching body, etc. and I knew I was dehydrated. Since I only get seriously ill on Sundays when all the doctors offices are closed. I asked Frank to take me to the hospital. He didn't think I had a very high temperature or that they would do anything for me. It was the flu and yes it hurts. That would be an understatement. Every time I coughed I thought of the story a friend told me where her friend had coughed so hard she cracked a rib. I felt soreness in all my ribs, back and mid section for every cough. It also hurt to take a deep breath and my body and all my joints were sore. I thought I was going to die.

Monday morning was not better and I had coughed all night and Frank asked if I wanted to go to the doctor because now he was thinking it was bronchitis. I said yes. He said did I want to go to the Micron clinic. No, that was way too far away and I didn't even know how I was going to make it to the car. I told him to see if my doctor could see me in the morning. He called and she could see me at noon. That was too late for me. I asked again to go to the hospital and he said let's wait to see the doctor. Not so easy.

Finally, noon came and I managed to get there. The nurse that led me into the little room said I might need to go to the hospital. Of course there is the mandatory 15 minute wait for no reason at the doctor's office. While we were waiting for her, I said let's just go to the hospital and again Frank said let's wait for the doctor. Finally she came and looked me over. She said she could admit me to the hospital if I really wanted (yes, I really did) but she really thought we could manage things with me at home. Two against one, I lose. At that point, I was so bad I just wanted to go home and said fine. They gave me a shot in the bum and four high strength Advil and sent me home with two prescriptions. She told me to come see her the next day.

After the shot and Advil, I was able to calm down a little. Monday night went better and Tuesday morning I didn't feel like I was going to die anymore, only partially so. So I thought o.k. I'm good at home; I don't want to go to the hospital. Went to the doctor and she looked at me and said I need to go to the hospital. Even though the medicine was making me feel a little better I was actually worse. Right over to the hospital we went and straight to a room since she had called and set it up.

They took my blood and x-rays and put me on an I.V. and antibiotics. The doctor came later in the afternoon and said I had double pneumonia. I didn't know that was possible, but if I'm going to have it I must have it in a grand way. So I stayed for four days and was released this morning. It was not how I envisioned I would be spending my Valentine's day.

I missed teaching art to the kids and tried to explain the lesson in a note to the teacher that Anna took to school. She didn't really understand what to do, so they didn't have art. I missed Anna's school Valentine's party. Anna and Frank did bring me chocolate but (mark this on your calendar folks) I didn't feel like eating any chocolate! (Now you know I was really ill.)

I'm home now and it's nice to have my own bed. My doctor says it will take weeks to get up to speed (I won't be able to walk Anna to school for a while) and probably a couple of months before I'm completely back to normal. Bummer. Frank said he forgot to take pictures at the hospital on Valentine's so I could scrapbook it. I hope he was teasing.