Called the consulting nurse at my Dr's office yesterday, and checked in and got an assessment of where I was at. She suggested I try a half a turkey sandwich and see how that sat with me, and start drinking Pedialyte instead of Gatorade to cut back on excess sugars. So Chris bought the ingredients, and I had both last night. Pedialyte is ASS. I have to water it down even more than Gatorade. BLECH. The turkey sandwich was heaven. I wanted a whole one--the half made me hungry for more. But I kept it to half, and kept drinking my Crapolyte.

aka
My Trip to the ER in Valejo, CA

For those who read my last post, I apparently am psychic. The weekend was fabulous, save for the end. I will blog about the first part later, but am skipping to the drama for now.

I am going to post Renee's rundown of the events from her perspective, and interject some from mine, of what I can remember.


Sharon's tummy had been feeling a little funky all weekend but shefigured it was travel and/or her pre-trip anxiety and didn't think too much about it. After clearing out of the Villa and going to the festival to take care of some last minute business (getting a partial refund on my new belly ring and picking up fringe from Katherine for the troupe costumes (more on that in another email) we headed off to the roller coaster park, stopping on the way to eat lunch at Togo's (YAY!).

Once we got to the park (about 2:30pm) we wandered around a bit to let lunch settle. We saw dolphins and penguins and seals and sea lions (this park has some animals as well as coasters) which were very cute, and we played a carnival game and each "won" (everyone wins) a superhero cape--WonderWoman and BatGirl!) And then it was time to ride coasters. First was V2 a twisting loop de loop that reverses and repeats 3 times (reverses and repeats is a a particularly apt turn of phrase for what happened later that night, but I digress...). ((S: the V2 was awesome. I wish we could have ridden it more than once! The lines were so short, and the day was so beautiful.))

((S: As we head into this part of the park, before we hit another ride, I started feeling these little twinges and cramps in my upper abdomen. Never felt anything like it, so didn't mention it to Renee at the time)) We then went on to Kong, which was kind of like being thrown into a tumble dryer with a pair of sneakers. We got off that feeling a little beat up, but immediately got on Medusa, the longest, highest, fastest coaster in Northern California (really not saying much, though since all the prime coasters are in Southern CA.) Anyway, it was very loopy and twisty, which is pretty much how we felt when we got off it. I was feeling a bit green and Sharon said she was feeling kind of weird ((S: the cramping got a little worse, and I thought I might need a bathroom soon, so gave her fair warning). We went and sat down and as I sipped a Sprite I started feeling better, but Sharon began to feel worse. She took a trip to the ladies room while I went in search of some Pepto Bismol. Once acquired we walked though the gift shops. Another trip to the ladies' room. After she came out Sharon said, "I'm done with rides, but I don't think I can leave." More Pepto, and kids, she was clearly on a downhill slide, going from looking mildly uncomfortable to *really* sad and unhappy.

Finally she decided it was time to gut it out (pun intended) and tackle the tram ride to the car, which she took with a plastic bag in her lap, just in case (blessedly unneeded.) I noticed that there was a hotel directly across the street from the park and I suggested that instead of going back to Oakland (and forcing her to endure an hour long ride to a hotel there) we just book in across the street, which she gladly agreed to.

I got her checked in about 7pm and then went off in search of saltines, ginger ale, Pepto and Gatorade. ((S: while Renee was gone, the pain increased to an alarming level, and I started to feel really nauseous, mostly from the intensity of the pain. I went in the bathroom and decided to make myself vomit to try and make myself feel better, but the chain reaction was surprising. Once I got going, I couldn't stop, and was relieved Renee wasn't around to hear that soundtrack.)) When I got back she was feeling even worse with waves of abdominal cramping high up just beneath her ribs. I went down to reception to inquire about a doctor and to call Chris and let him know what was going on and while I was gone the pain got much worse. ((S: I was fading in and out of some kind of unconsciousness, I was not aware of time passing much at this point, and had my eyes clenched shut most of the time, praying I could fall asleep or check out somehow from the pain)) By the time I looked up directions to the local hospital she was saying "I need to go." It was only 2 miles away but it felt like the longest ride of my life and I'm sure she'd say the same ((S: I was so out of it at this point. I couldn't tell you what time it was or where we were going or how far. I just know I didn't want to puke or...otherwise... in the rental car!)). I have seen Sharon sick and uncomfortable before but *never* like this. ((S: Worst pain of my life, and it hadn't even peaked yet at this point.))

We got to the ER (where they actually let you park --Yay!-- and after some confusion on my part about signing in with security we got her admitted. (This was around 9:15) ((S: I just remember walking in and feeling like no one was paying attention. Walking was now hurting even worse, and the waves of cramps were knocking me over, and I started to cry uncontrollably. I just kept trying to hold it in to not freak out people in the waiting room. This part felt like forever, standing there, bracing myself against the counter, waiting for someone to help us.))

It was hours before she saw the doctor, of course. I helped get most of the paperwork filled out while she lay on a gurney in the hallway (no rooms at the inn) alternately writhing in pain and laying there exhausted. ((S: I HATED being in the hall. I kept moaning and yelling out in pain, sobbing uncontrollably. I just wanted some privacy, and was positively miserable. I couldn't believe that this obviously acute level of pain could be pushed so far down on the priority list!)) A stern (but polite, I swear!) talking to the nurse finally yielded some results in the form of morphine. That helped somewhat ((S: Thank god for that. I think I mostly stopped crying when these drugs kicked in. A little bit into this I finally felt I could call Chris and talk to him. Before then, I could spontaneously go into an uncontrollable spasm, and I didn't want him to hear me in pain and scare him even more. But I knew it would ease his mind to hear my voice, so made an effort to be able to talk to him briefly. And of course I wanted to hear HIS voice, too!)). Finally just before midnight the doc came, got a brief rundown of the symptoms and said it was likely a stomach virus that was going around. "I've got what you've got." [Um, no, sir, since you are standing upright and speaking and functioning instead of contorted and crying, YOU DO NOT. And if you do, then WTF are you doing here??? ((<<<----S. My thoughts EXACTLY!))] He examined her and ordered blood tests, which they had to try twice in order to get someone who could draw blood from our pruney and iron-skinned girl ((S. PRUNEY? I do have small veins. Nurses always have a tough time getting blood outta me, so I am pretty easy going about needles, because the average is getting stuck 3 times or more before they are successful. But not only was I highly sensitized by this time, but the first nurse was a butcher I tell you! I have the bruises to prove it! At least the second nurse was successful, and I have to search for her needle holes they were so small and well done. I also had an IV run with fluids, which was so amazingly uncomfortable, but the fluids were welcome. I couldn't keep warm, though, and kept having to ask for another blanket, and another and another. Me, the girl who is never cold was simply freezing. Yay more discomfort to add to my misery. At least they set up some folding screens near the end there to make for a little privacy.)). Around 1 they declared she could go home and the new shift nurse came over and was completely incomprehensible as she read the discharge instructions which, as it turned out, revealed that the doc had changed his mind and decided it was food poisoning after all.
WHAT EVER.
((S: By this time they had pushed in a second morphine-based pain reliever into my IV, and I was totally konked. I was in and out of consciousness, and not at all aware of the passage of time. Renee was incredibly patient and occasionally giving me reports on what was going on around me where I couldn't see. By the time the next nurse came, I could barely keep my eyes open. She was completely confusing and I kept looking at Renee trying to see if she was catching anything I wasn't, but she looked dazed and confused. The nurse was useless, and at the end of it all, she actually had me SIGN a paper attesting that I heard and UNDERSTOOD everything she said to me. HUH?!))

We finally got out of there around 2:15 and headed over to the 24 hour Walgreen's to get her prescriptions filled, only to discover that the all-night pharmacist was on lunch break until 3. GAH! ((S: this drive felt like it took forever. We could have been driving all night for all I knew. I felt so nauseated and exhausted.)) I took Sharon back to the hotel and put her in bed ((S: I collapsed and fell asleep immediately! I didn't even hear Renee leave the room!)) and then went back to the pharmacy only to discover that their entire computer system was down and they could do nothing for me. NOTHING. And that the nearest other 24 hour drugstore was in Oakland. It killed me to drive back without the medicine and I hated the thought of breaking the news to Sharon but fortunately she was completely conked out when I got back to the room at 3:30, so I just went to bed without waking her.
__________

The next morning I woke to Renee likely typing this above report. She had been texting everyone and calling everyone to keep them appraised of my condition all night long. She kept a very brave face the entire time, and kept her freak-outs confined to times she stepped away from my bedside. She was my Rock, no doubt. I owe her so much....

This morning, I felt feverish and worn out, but knew I had to rally to get to the airport. Renee suggested a shower, which I did. I didn't want to get out. I just pressed my forehead against the tile and let the warm water run over me as long as I dared. When we head to the airport, Renee wrangled the luggage any way she could to make it easier on me. Considering I had a bag twice the size of hers, and loaded even more with some shopping I picked up at TF, I felt awfully guilty, but couldn't dare argue, as I really needed the help. I pretty much hovered at the edge of consciousness the entire drive to the airport, and most of the flight, and the same in both car rides home (to Renee's house, and then Chris picked me up to take me the rest of the way). Chris seemed beside himself with a mix of concern and joy at seeing me back home again. I couldn't find the energy to speak to him, and he just kept stroking my leg or tugging at my fingers to try and connect with me. Once home (maybe around 5:30? I lost track of time again.)I went straight to bed and fell asleep. He went to the store to buy me a "wide variety of bland foods" and Gatorade. At about 11:45 he came to bed, too.

I slept until about 4am, and woke up feeling incredibly achey and cramped up. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't, so I got up, ate some fishy crackers, drank some watered down Gatorade, and took some 222's and took my anti-spaz medication. I took my temperature and was at 100. Blogged, then went back to bed until 11am.

I have still been running a low fever today at about 99, I am dizzy when I stand up or walk around, and my tummy has been crampy and gurgling all day. I finally got something substantial down: a bowl of chicken noodle soup. But am so tired I could have gone back to bed anytime today. Luckily it looks like we will be postponing troupe rehearsal until Thursday, so I won't miss this important Folklife rehearsal and the costuming finalization.

Chris sent me beautiful flowers this afternoon, in honor of spring and my return home. He has sent me flowers about every other month for nearly a year now. Makes me feel so special...so loved. My man. I look forward to him coming home tonight, because I didn't really see him at all yesterday.

I know the awesomest people.
Honest people. Kind people. Generous people.
Open people. Communicative people. Caring people.
Funny people. Discerning people. Passionate people.
Beautiful people. Creative people. Practical people.
Thoughtful people. Inquisitive people. Adventurous people.

They are my people. YOU are my people. And I adore each and every one of you.

Thank you for being in my life. For sharing yourself with me.

Lucky lucky lucky me.


(PS "People" starts to look like a strange word after a short time, don'it?)