About that time I was sick...

In an attempt to get caught up on some of the major happenings of this summer, I'm going to tackle it one topic at a time, and not necessarily in order. Why? I don't know. But maybe it will explain the extended absences mixed with the lame half-a*ssed (*'s for mom's work filter, remember?) returns.

So let's see.

Well...

I spent the end of June and almost ALL of July sick as a dog.

It started with a super fun combination of laryngitis, bronchitis, and strep throat. I managed to lose my voice ENTIRELY for 5+ days. Let me tell you how fun that was - especially when I was working a few 10 hour days at cycling races and had to communicate with everyone via walkie-talkie. It was a lost cause. Even whispering was difficult. I felt like I had climbed a flight of stairs after the effort it would take to push out just one sentence. Bad news. Then there were days I couldn't swallow, days I didn't sleep because I would cough all night.

UGLY.

I went to the doctor, got antibiotics and some other good fun drugs.

And then I thought I was better after about 3.5 weeks.

For like two whole days.

WRONG AGAIN, CHIEFTAIN.

After 2 whole days of feeling great and finally indulging in a nice, summery, ice cold beer, my throat started getting sore again. And then I couldn't swallow.

Oh! And there was that morning (before I was leaving for work) that I almost passed out in the shower. I had to lay down in the tub and turn the water off with my feet. That was fun.

Then I drove 40 minutes to sit in the sun on a super humid day for 2 hours.

As soon as I got back, I went to the walk-in clinic doctor that I see through our private insurance. He thought it was still the same thing and did a strep test (negative) and told me to drink a lot of gatorade and soup. Umm. Sure.

He also did an x-ray of my ribs because I managed to either sprain/strain/or hairline fracture one from coughing so hard.

A few days later I still felt miserable. Perhaps MORE miserable....and now I couldn't hear out of my right ear and the left one was feeling weird. I had a standing appointment at the VA a few days later because they like to see you at least once a year. I was going to cancel it, but since I still felt crappy and my old doctor there (that I couldn't stand) was finally gone, I decided to keep it.

My new VA doctor? AWESOME. I love her. Not as much as the one I had in Fresno, but still, I like her a lot. AND...she didn't tell me to east some soup and drink some gatorade. She actually examined me again, which is kind of more (or at least different) than the walk-in doctor did.

Turns out my other stuff had evolved into pneumonia and a double ear infection! Awesome. I also needed to start using an inhaler and she said there was a chance I'd need it in the future now that I had been so sick for so long

So that took some more time to get over. I was very weak for quite awhile and my hearing didn't return very quickly either. I was still sick when we left for our week long anniversary road trip...

...which I'll write about next time.

...and then I went all vasovagal 'n shit...

So yeah...

I had to go to the doctor this morning for to get my blood drawn to check my cholesterol and thyroid. Walked in, felt fine yadda yadda. I was just telling the nurse that my veins are kind of difficult but she seemed confident. So she goes for my right arm...it rolls and she misses...digs around, can't get it. Switches arms, finds a good one...WHOOPS...there it goes...starts digging...finally gets it. I still felt fine this whole time. I open my hand and relax my arm while she's taking the blood out and I start feeling kind of hot and only a little light headed.

She's done, I ask if I can sit there for a minute...(sure! do you want some juice? sure!)...she leaves and I start feeling a little worse. I drink the juice, still don't feel too bad. She tells me she'll be back in a second because she has to grab something in the next room. I start feeling suddenly REALLY dizzy and sick. I remember deciding that I needed to go lay down on the table 2 feet away from me.

Next thing I know, I'm on the floor and there are people saying my name and asking if I'm ok. I was halfway under the counter that I was sitting next to and my head hurt. Apparently when I passed out I hit my head on the counter on my way down.

A doctor came in and checked me out and my head was sore and my neck was getting really tight and sore. He made me go get a neck x-ray and drink a soda.

X-ray was fine. I feel a lot better but have a headache and my neck kills. Diagnosis: another vasovagal reaction. This is my 5th now - but it's been a looong time.

Oh! And also when the nurse was leaving the room to grab whatever she forgot, I was reading a text message from a friend asking if I was pregnant. I was closing my phone as I was about to go over to the table but passed out instead.

Goodtimes.

And no, I'm not pregnant.

Luckily I am off of work today so I am hanging out on the couch. I did still feel the need to go wander around Menards to buy a rake on my way home though.

I was supposed to give blood at my friend's blood drive tomorrow, but that is not a good idea for me (or anyone involved, probably) now.

So before you freak out about having blood drawn or donating blood (PLEASE GO DONATE BLOOD! IT'S IMPORTANT!) or anything like that, let me tell you the circumstances of my other 4 vasovagal episodes.

First time: Age 17, I went to give blood for the first time, they pricked my finger and I passed out.

Second time: Age 21, wisdom tooth removed...was sitting there 10-20 minutes after it was done. I was fine, laughing and talking with the nurse, then (according to her) I turned about 6 different colors and passed out.

Third time: Age 22, on a field exercise in the army staying in a building in the woods. I was sitting on the stoop outside talking to Corey and a friend of mine. Got up to go inside, felt dizzy suddenly and told myself I'd make it to my bunk. Instead I passed out and hit the fire extinguisher bracket on the wall, the fire extinguisher on the floor and then landed on the concrete floor with blood gushing from my head. I got a helicopter ride out of that one. no real explaination for it other than *maybe* due to medication I'd only been on for a few days. It would have been much cooler if that German hospital would have given me a room instead of kept me in the hallway for 3 days. That experience is only balanced out by the fact that the German paramedic in the back of the helicopter with me was HOT.

Fourth time: Dentist office, wasn't numb enough (my mom and I both take a TON of novocaine to numb up) and started freaking out. The dentist stopped and let me sit up for a second to wipe my eyes while he got some more novocaine - passed out.

This time: Also *might* have something to do with new medication that I've been on for 2 days. Or the digging around for my sheisty veins with a needle. Or both.

I've donated blood probably 6 or 7 times, had numerous blood draws, and have 3 tattoos and have been fine (or mostly ok) for all of them. I also see and wipe up a lot of blood and open wounds in my line of work. No big deal - actually I'm kind of fascinated by it (which you might find disturbing - sorry!).

My glorious government healthcare and why I feel like a total jerk today

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that I am able to have free medical care through the VA, or else I'd have nothing. I've had too many problems with my car accidents, strep throat, etc to be able to get away with not having it.

But seriously...

They've had my paperwork to enroll me into their system here in Milwaukee since the end of June. Why does it take 3 months...THREE...to have my first doctor visit? September 26th is a long ass way from the end of June. Also, why did Corey get his appointment a month before I did? They got our stuff the same day.

I woke up at 3 am with this crazy intense pain in deep in my right hip that was radiating to my back, butt, groin, down my leg...everywhere...with no explanation for it. Let me just say that I'm not a wuss, but this pain was so random and awful that I was ready to drive myself down to the VA urgent care in the middle of the night. I think the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I'd probably waste the gas to get down there and they'd say no because I wasn't "in their system" yet or some other shit that I didn't want to hear at 4 am. Nothing was helping and I definitely couldn't sleep so Corey suggested I call the 24 hour nurse line that I didn't know they had.

I made the call at 4:15 am. There was no answer and they tell me to leave a message with my name, last 4, and phone number. It is now 1:30 pm and my call has not been returned. It doesn't matter now anyway since the pain isn't as intense, but still. That is crappy.

Now for why I feel like a jerk:

After this whole random middle of the night ordeal, I managed to fall asleep again a little before 6 am. My alarm was set to go off at 6:30. Corey called me at 10:15 to see how I was feeling and asks if I went to work or called in. Called in? It's not even 7 yet...OHHOLYCRAP! I looked at his clock and saw the real time and realized I was supposed to be at work at the PT clinic almost an hour and a half earlier. I called and they were nice about it, but I feel like an ass. I only work from 9-12 there two days a week so going there at that point wouldn't have made any sense. It's just crappy because they are busy on Mondays and were counting on me. Ugh.

On a happier, and equally uninterestingtotherestoftheworld note, it is chilly and raining here today, which I love.