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Sep. 29th, 2012
So the more coherent version of my last post goes as follows:
Shortly after 1am, I began feeling nauseous (in addition to the diarrheal cramps and the bizarre gurgling sensation I'd been fighting since around 3pm, as if something in my guts were actively fermenting or whatever) and simultaneously developed a case of bone-deep chill and full body shakes that lasted, in total, something like 45 minutes -- they were just tapering off when I reached the hospital. And that is WITH two extra-strength Tylenol.
I called 911 and they sent an ambulance, because there was no way in hell I was capable of driving.
I vomited in the ambulance. Pretty much everything I ate since I'd gotten up around 2:30pm came right back up. Not fun in the slightest. Although, in a potentially useful side effect, once I'd cleared everything out of my digestive system from one end or the other, there was nothing left for the diarrheal cramps to keep shoving out. Small backhanded favors!
Anyway, they checked me in at Cayuga Medical Center, I sat in the waiting room for a while (which is when I made my previous post), and then they stuck me on a gurney and waited for a room to open up. The hospital was apparently crazy busy last night, mostly people screwed up on alcohol or other recreational drugs, which I guess is because it's Apple Harvest Fest weekend and people are partying hard. This had the side effect of making people forget I was there for long stretches of time, presumably because I wasn't either belligerently drunk or in immediate danger of death. The nurses always answered the call button, though, and were quite helpful when actually in the room.
Once I got a room, they hooked me up to a blood pressure/heartbeat monitor (apparently mine were too high), and put me on a saline drip (to counter dehydration) that also included some fever reducers because surprise surprise, I was still running a mild fever. Later I got a second IV drip plus an anti-nausea shot, and I asked for the bed to be lowered completely flat so I was able to get an hour or so of uneasy sleep. (Previously I'd been watching a documentary on lucha libre, or Mexican masked wrestling, to distract myself from the way my lower back was screaming in pain. There are reasons I sleep with a single extremely flat pillow and find people who construct pillow barricades utterly baffling. But I am way off topic now, so! Moving on.)
The upshot is that this seems to be a nasty viral thing that's been going around Ithaca. Half the hospital staff have already had it and another third are currently home sick with basically the same thing, just not quite as severe as my case. I hit the bad luck lottery or something. :-/
I am now home (after a small misadventure with a taxi pickup) and in possession of a prescription for some anti-nausea medication that I will try to get filled later today once my local pharmacy opens. I also took 600mg of ibuprofen for continuing fever symptoms as directed by the nurse, am risking some bread and gingerale because I am starving, and will shortly be going to bed because I AM EXHAUSTED.
I am also under strict orders to not go into work today under any circumstances, and if I don't feel better by this evening, not to go in tomorrow either. I am pretty sure I will have to go in tomorrow regardless, since AS is not yet satisfactorily trained in closing and also I think I am the person scheduled to do afternoon cashup, but I am going to cross my fingers and think unrealistically positive thoughts about my likely recovery time. *resolve face*
And now to bed.
Shortly after 1am, I began feeling nauseous (in addition to the diarrheal cramps and the bizarre gurgling sensation I'd been fighting since around 3pm, as if something in my guts were actively fermenting or whatever) and simultaneously developed a case of bone-deep chill and full body shakes that lasted, in total, something like 45 minutes -- they were just tapering off when I reached the hospital. And that is WITH two extra-strength Tylenol.
I called 911 and they sent an ambulance, because there was no way in hell I was capable of driving.
I vomited in the ambulance. Pretty much everything I ate since I'd gotten up around 2:30pm came right back up. Not fun in the slightest. Although, in a potentially useful side effect, once I'd cleared everything out of my digestive system from one end or the other, there was nothing left for the diarrheal cramps to keep shoving out. Small backhanded favors!
Anyway, they checked me in at Cayuga Medical Center, I sat in the waiting room for a while (which is when I made my previous post), and then they stuck me on a gurney and waited for a room to open up. The hospital was apparently crazy busy last night, mostly people screwed up on alcohol or other recreational drugs, which I guess is because it's Apple Harvest Fest weekend and people are partying hard. This had the side effect of making people forget I was there for long stretches of time, presumably because I wasn't either belligerently drunk or in immediate danger of death. The nurses always answered the call button, though, and were quite helpful when actually in the room.
Once I got a room, they hooked me up to a blood pressure/heartbeat monitor (apparently mine were too high), and put me on a saline drip (to counter dehydration) that also included some fever reducers because surprise surprise, I was still running a mild fever. Later I got a second IV drip plus an anti-nausea shot, and I asked for the bed to be lowered completely flat so I was able to get an hour or so of uneasy sleep. (Previously I'd been watching a documentary on lucha libre, or Mexican masked wrestling, to distract myself from the way my lower back was screaming in pain. There are reasons I sleep with a single extremely flat pillow and find people who construct pillow barricades utterly baffling. But I am way off topic now, so! Moving on.)
The upshot is that this seems to be a nasty viral thing that's been going around Ithaca. Half the hospital staff have already had it and another third are currently home sick with basically the same thing, just not quite as severe as my case. I hit the bad luck lottery or something. :-/
I am now home (after a small misadventure with a taxi pickup) and in possession of a prescription for some anti-nausea medication that I will try to get filled later today once my local pharmacy opens. I also took 600mg of ibuprofen for continuing fever symptoms as directed by the nurse, am risking some bread and gingerale because I am starving, and will shortly be going to bed because I AM EXHAUSTED.
I am also under strict orders to not go into work today under any circumstances, and if I don't feel better by this evening, not to go in tomorrow either. I am pretty sure I will have to go in tomorrow regardless, since AS is not yet satisfactorily trained in closing and also I think I am the person scheduled to do afternoon cashup, but I am going to cross my fingers and think unrealistically positive thoughts about my likely recovery time. *resolve face*
And now to bed.
being sick is exhausting
Sep. 29th, 2012 06:08 pmThank you to everyone for the good wishes! *sends virtual hugs to all*
I slept eight hours, which you would think would count as a good night's (or day's, I suppose) sleep. But after less than two hours awake, I'm completely wiped out again. At least ibuprofen and Tylenol have been keeping the fever symptoms under control? Additionally my nice new anti-nausea meds have a common side effect of drowsiness, so basically I am heading straight back to bed now that I have picked them up and taken the first dose. (I also got some saltines, gatorade, yogurt, and chicken noodle soup while I was at it.)
I have excused myself from teaching RE tomorrow for obvious reasons, but I was not able to get out of work -- unfortunately PM is out of town (and also had surgery herself early this week) and MS has family obligations, so it's not possible to swap the shift. I did get it reduced a bit, though, so instead of 12-9pm I will be working 1-8pm, and I will give AS a detailed cheat sheet and hope he manages to successfully close alone. (...Assuming he has a key by now, I guess.)
And now to bed. Again. *sigh*
I slept eight hours, which you would think would count as a good night's (or day's, I suppose) sleep. But after less than two hours awake, I'm completely wiped out again. At least ibuprofen and Tylenol have been keeping the fever symptoms under control? Additionally my nice new anti-nausea meds have a common side effect of drowsiness, so basically I am heading straight back to bed now that I have picked them up and taken the first dose. (I also got some saltines, gatorade, yogurt, and chicken noodle soup while I was at it.)
I have excused myself from teaching RE tomorrow for obvious reasons, but I was not able to get out of work -- unfortunately PM is out of town (and also had surgery herself early this week) and MS has family obligations, so it's not possible to swap the shift. I did get it reduced a bit, though, so instead of 12-9pm I will be working 1-8pm, and I will give AS a detailed cheat sheet and hope he manages to successfully close alone. (...Assuming he has a key by now, I guess.)
And now to bed. Again. *sigh*