So, here I am, sitting in the same place I've been since Saturday night. At this time, I'm enjoying some EasyMac and a cup of Apple Cider, looking forward to picking up JJ and my mom at the airport tomorrow, and thinking that all might be right with the world.
You see, at this same time yesterday, my fever was back, I was coughing up all kinds of colors, I had just thrown up (into a bowl of soup I had just started consuming), my voice was gone, I was shaking, and so weak I couldn't lift said bowl up to put it somewhere other than my lap.
Right NOW, however, I have NO fever, only a slightly sore throat, a man voice, the coughs are mostly controllable, I'm not nauseated, and the swelling in my armpits and throat is completely gone!
Take that, swiney! In this pig wrestling match, there's a VERY obvious winner. *ME*!!
This is an *official* shout out to my favorite reader, Aunt Joni!
Okay, maybe you're my favorite reader, but I'm really writing this because
A) I got your message
B) I don't think you know how to text message
C) I've mostly lost my voice so I can't answer the phone
and...
D) I'm fine! I haven't thrown up today :) I'll call you if I need anything! I think I'm on the upswing though.
I lost my voice, but my temperature seems normal now and I'm keeping down food (my favorite)!
My brain is falling out of my nose, however... in liquid form. And sneezeys galore.
That's right, y'all... it's official. I have the Swine Flu.
I thought that I'd write about the progression of this illness, so that you will know if you're getting it:
Day 1. Saturday: I start to feel like I'm getting chest congestion as I drive home from hanging out with Jill. I assume it's just because I was out late (again) after a long day. By the time I get home, I have chest congestion, stuffy nose, and, as I'm sitting on the toilet, I realize I'm going to barf. Just like that.
Day 2. Sunday: I wake up at 6 AM to feeling like I have a flu and a cold at the same time. The nausea isn't as severe as with the flu, but the sore throat and chest congestion begins it's butt-kicking. I stay in bed all day, drinking juice, theraflu, water, and soup. I went to web-MD to try to find out what's wrong. Suggestions are: common cold, flu virus, H1N1 virus, as well as some other crazy things, like mumps, parasites, etc.
Day 3. Monday: I wake up at 5 AM, feeling slightly better (I think it's because I was still high on NyQuil). I can't go back to sleep because of my dry cough--new addition to the list. I notice that the glands in my armpits and throat are swollen as I shower (trying to shave swollen armpits while on NyQuil proves to be quite the adventure), but I still have to make it to my 7 AM Accounting class to turn in my take-home quiz and homework. I call my doctors as soon as they open, and SURPRISE! I have Swine Flu. After going to Target (yes, I'm one of those people that spreads germs around that everyone hates...we all need food and more medicine at times, right?), I go home to officially start my quarantine. I drink a cup of Theraflu, fall asleep around 10 AM and don't wake up until 6 PM. I'd say it was the best day of having Swine Flu ever! Unfortunately, I start having more "productive coughs" with blood involved.
Funny anecdote: When I'm on drugs, I often lose my sense of grip. I was drinking a glass of Diet Coke, but totally dropped it all over the comforter I was using. As I stand up to gather it up and put it in the washer, I barf. Right on the same spot as the Diet Coke. I was surprised I didn't then pee my pants, I laughed so hard at myself for not knowing I was about to throw up. Then I started coughing really hard (I think that might be why I threw up in the first place), and it all got a lot less funny.
Last night, my sleep was horrible. I kept waking up due to wind outside and someone coughing loudly... Oh, that's me? Hmmm... at this point I'm so groggy I forget that I'm way sick and just keep wondering what's happening...
Day 4. Today: I feel a lot more sick as far as the coughing and sore throat go. My lungs feel mostly the same, and I don't quite know if I'm nauseous. I DO know, however, that it's been snowing all night. Because of the snow, I feel like I've been sick for ages.
I'm supposed to start feeling better tomorrow and be able to pick up JJ from the airport, and then my mom, on Friday. I sure hope I can! We're all going to Vegas to watch Mish get her white coat. I'll update on how the rest of this goes when I get over it.
As most of you know, and, if you don’t, you’re an alien (or new to my blog)…
JJ and I have been living in DC and Utah, respectively, since the end of July. We’ve found ourselves missing one another, yes, but we’re SO BUSY! JJ goes out of town (his town, DC) probably at least once every 3 weeks, but he makes sure to be there when I am there (which has been every other weekend, when we expected probably once a month). In the last month, actually, I’ve made 3 trips, including the one I’m on right now.
Flying cross-country often may seem glamorous, but I promise it’s not. Take my last flight as an example:
There was turbulence. All across the country. I would know. I somehow scheduled myself for a flight that went from Baltimore (about 30 mins driving or 1 hour metro-and-bus-riding from our apartment) to Charlotte, North Carolina, where I had a 2-hour layover. On this leg of my awesome trip, there was turbulence, but I luckily slept through most of it. In Charlotte, I walked around the airport and then thought about buying magazines. I just thought about it, because I couldn’t find any good ones. OH, by the way… I was trying to walk my pants dry. That’s right, the man next to me on the flight spilled his ENTIRE beer on my pants—at 7:30 in the morning, no less. I had left ALL of my stuff that I had taken to DC (except my carry-on, which was a purse this time) with JJ, so, even if I could’ve claimed my luggage, I wouldn’t have had anything to change into.
I then boarded my next flight. Because US Airways is such a quality airline (gag me ragged), I went straight from Charlotte to…. PHOENIX. Yes, it took me across the country, but I would still have another hour and a half flight after this one. It was turbulent, as I stated before, and the poor old lady in front of me was throwing up. Not just spitting up, but THROWING UP as LOUDLY AND DRAMATICALLY as a CARTOON! I had loaded up on ginger before flying, so I could hold down my…. Wait, I didn’t eat breakfast, because of beer smell. Anyway, the 2nd time she started throwing up, I started to laugh. I didn’t mean to. I just did! Then the guy next to me started to laugh… and then it spread throughout the cabin. Pretty soon, the whole airplane was bouncing up and down with laughter. Poor lady.
In Phoenix, I bought a ten-dollar salad (dang airport), and then enjoyed watching the wildlife for the remaining 2 hours. Here’s where this very long story gets good.
As we boarded the plane, there was a boisterous man in line. After take-off, boisterousness turned into extreme drunkenness. Now, I’ve been to my share of parties (as the designated driver), but I’d NEVER seen someone that drunk on a plane. He started to head back to the bathroom as soon as we had gotten off the runway. I was seated in the back back of the plane, in the aisle. This man almost fell over, and then decided to take a breather on my armrest. Reaching for the call button, I said, “Sir, I don’t think you’re supposed to sit there,” to which he replied: “I’m just waiting to use the bathroom...” I pushed the flight attendant call button, but it took him a while to get to my seat (I think he was obeying the fasten-seat-belt sign)...by the time he got there, the drunken man was SITTING IN MY LAP! The flight attendant assisted the man in standing, which was to no avail, as this man chose to fall into the kitchenette, or whatever they call that area. He stayed there as the attendant took everyone's drink orders, then the attendant called the other 2 male flight attendants (what, that's not sexist, it's super weird!) and they lifted the man and put him in the bathroom.
Upon landing (yes, 1 hour later), the man was lifted from the bathroom and promptly arrested for public intoxication. SUPER WEIRD!
