Visit to the ER #2

Well let me tell you about the last week of my life.

Tuesday night I went out with a friend with some lady problems. Didn't stay out super late, but had a few drinks, then came home. Now, I did stay up too late, because I had to be in Nashville at 9:30 the next morning to meet with a recruiter. I always get lost in Nashville, so I got up and ready early enough to get there by 9:00, in case I got lost. So of course I didn't get lost. But I won't go into that meeting. This post will be long enough without that. You're welcome.

Well, I got back in town in time for my 12:40 class. But I had a massive headache that lasted the rest of the day. I thought it was from drinking (even though I didn't drink a lot) and then waking up earlier than usual. That, along with the stress of an interview (I do not do interviews...), was enough to give me a headache. So I get home, watch some TV, and decide to try to sleep it off. I wake up around 11:00pm with a full body ache, including a sore throat. First chills, then burning up, then chills, etc. I keep telling Mr. T I have a fever but he says I don't feel hot. I try to go to bed, but when I lay down I feel like I can't breathe. So like the baby that I am, I start crying. Go back in the living room and lay against Mr. T he's like "Whoa, you do feel hot - take some Ibuprofen. I'm going to go buy a thermometer." After I take the pills I start to feel better and by the time he gets back my fever has gone down to about 102.

Mr. T's a little freaked out because I got sick a few weeks ago and it drug on for nearly a week with the coughing and hacking and such. Plus such a high fever...so he was like "Do you want to go to the doctor?" and I'm delirious and miserable so I say "Do you think we should go to the doctor?" and...well, that goes on for awhile and we finally decide to go. But the only place we know of that is open at 11:00pm is the ER. I've only been to the ER a handful of times in my life. Only twice where I was the patient. The last time was in 6th grade when I fell off a horse and broke my arm. I didn't even get a cast - I had to wear a stupid sling for a few weeks. It was very disappointing, as far as broken bones go. But I digress.

This post is boring me. I'm sorry. Maybe I've just had to tell the story so many times. But I don't want to drag it out in multiple posts, and I don't want to not post it at all... So I'll just break it up with this awesome video:

Anyway, the ER visit was a BLAST. I had a really high heart rate, so that freaked the doctor out. Then they thought it was strep, but the strep test came back negative. He said they were only 70% accurate, anyway (did you know that?), so he just assumed it was strep anyway. Then, the fateful words: "Do you want the shot or the pills? The shot is a one-time deal, but you have to take the pills for 10 days." So, you know, I don't want to be a pussy (oh, snap - bad word)...so I go for the shot. Which will be in my butt. The nurse walks in, apologizing for how painful it will be. I mean - wtf? I thought they were supposed to lie and say it won't hurt! 3rd shift ER nurses are way too honest. But she was right, it hurt like the dickens.

By the time we get home it's 3:30am. I email my professors and tell them I won't make class the next day because I have strep and am exhausted from being at the ER. I call Mom the next day and she's all "Are you sure it's strep? Your sister had the same symptoms before she..." Oh gawd... You see, my sister had coxsackievirus, which morphed into hand, foot, mouth disease. Her face, hands, and feet were covered in sores that she alternated between saying it felt like ants gnawing their way out of her hands, or it felt like acid had been poured onto them. And I was babysitting for her when her daughter had it, which was right when she was getting it.

I called my lovely sister and she verified that, yes, that was what had happened to her. Oh, great... But I would have to wait 24 hours before any more symptoms appeared. So for Thursday I had the hope of only strep throat. And it's sad when that is the good thing that could be happening to you. But by the end of the day I had a lonely little bump appearing on my hand. Nooooo!!!! Friday there was just slight itching. A few barely-visible bumps. It was enough to seal my fate, but not enough to ruin my day. Ah, here is a picture

But Saturday. Oh, Saturday. That's when sh*t got real. The itching. I can't describe. Oh the itching! Ants, yes. Acid, yes. Sadness, oh yes. I went to my sister's that night. Contemplated gnawing my fingers off. Well, I guess the itching really started Friday night. Because I took two (TWO) prescription-dosage pain pills and still couldn't fall asleep until nearly 4:00am. And then I woke up at 8:00am. It sucked. Then all Saturday sucked. The whole weekend sucked, basically.

Yesterday the itching stopped, but my hands and feet were so swollen and sore I couldn't bend my fingers or walk. I took pictures!!

My face didn't get too bad, but it looked like skanky pimples, which was gross. 

The sores didn't really become visible on my feet. I think they were too calloused.  Which is gross.  But they hurt so very bad.

right hand

left hand

I think these were my two "worst" fingers:

Last night I actually got a decent night's sleep! And I had a crazy dream... That will need to go in another post, because I know no one has made it this far. I woke up today and could bend my fingers! Almost into a fist! And I could almost walk! It was the greatest day ever. I still didn't go to class. My sister said that I could be contagious up to one week after the first sign of symptoms. Which will be Wednesday. I may just have to risk it tomorrow, though. Also, I don't think I'm up for walking up four flights of stairs yet...

So. We got through it, you and I. "I" being me again, when I proofread this in a second. No one else will read all the way through, including future me. To reward myself, I will post another video: