On when I had Meningitis. Part 1

I started this post and then my energy kind of fizzled out. It does that lately. So I guess this'll be a multi-post entry. Here goes:

So, somehow...someway, I caught Meningitis. Here's the long, gory, entry I promised:

It all began on a Tuesday. I woke up with a small headache. I took some Tylenol Sinus and felt a little better. I began to feel worse on Tuesday night: my head hurt, I had some body aches, and I felt as if I had a fever. I woke up Wednesday morning feeling achy all over and with a stronger headache. I thanked God for our jacuzzi tub, filled it up, and took a long bubble bath. I felt a little better afterward, but didn't have any headache medicine to take, so I gave the boys a "free day". I called my sister to tell her I didn't know if I would be going to church that night or not- she was planning on going with me. Chris came home from work, he gave me a neck massage and I took a small nap.

I decided to go on to church with my family. We stopped by to see my dad on the way, and I took some Aleve Sinus. The box said to only take one capsule every 12 hours. I was hurting so badly by that time that I took 2 and put 2 more in my purse for later. 2 hours later, my head was still hurting, along with my neck. I took 2 more pills and found a comfortable chair to rest in until church started.

Met up with my friend around 7 o'clock and we headed upstairs for service. My head and neck were still pounding. I commented to my friend that Chris really must have hurt me with his massage. I made it through the service. By the time it was over, the edge was gone from my headache. I met up with Chris and the boys and we decided to hit up El Sombrero. I still felt horrible, but eating out seemed much better that going home to cook. On the way to the restaurant, I stopped at Publix to pick up some Excedrin, thinking that I I had a migraine instead of a sinus headache, since the Aleve didn't work. Took 2 Excedrin Migraine pills before we ate. I had no appetite. I think I just ate a few bites of my tostada.

After dinner, my head was pounding worse than before. When we arrived at home, I put the kids to bed and took 2 more Excedrins. By this time, I was so hyped up on the caffeine from the Excedrin, I knew I'd never sleep. And I still had a headache. The night wore on. I didn't sleep at all. The last time I looked at the alarm clock was 4:30. I must have drifted off just before Chris' alarm rang.

I woke up around 7 o'clock in the worse pain I've ever experienced. EVER. My labor pains before Shaun's birth had nothing on this headache. I stayed in bed and just cried. Shaun woke up and came in my room. I scared my poor baby half to death. He's not used to seeing me cry. He asked me what was wrong, and I just cried harder and told him that I couldn't take care of him and Jordan that morning. That I was sick. That he should just let Jordan sleep and play XBox...but with the volume turned down. He looked at me with panic in his eyes and told me to call Daddy.

I called my sister instead, thinking that maybe she could run me to the doctor before her husband went in to work. As it turned out, her husand went in early that day. I asked her to call the hospital and try to get in touch with Chris. She helped me out, because she's the best sister ever. Chris called a few minutes later. I told him he needed to come home and take me to the doctor. His response? "Why?" I told him my head was killing me, and he exclaimed, "You mean you still have that headache??" He came home to get me, and made arrangements for the kids. He was on call that day and was only able to leave work until 4:00. I told him we would have plenty of time...it was only 10:00 am, after all. Turns out, I was wrong.

Pity Party

I'm having a pity party with myself tonight.

I'm getting over Viral Meningitis. Had to stay in the hospital and everything. I'll post a long, gory, blog entry about that later.

While I was in the hospital, with the most agonizing headache I've ever had, my doctor told me, "You'll probably go home with a headache. It may even last 6 weeks. We just need to get you to manage the pain so that you can go home".

So now I'm at home, "managing my pain" with narcotics. Actually, I'm at my parent's house. Because I can't do anything for myself as long as my head feels this way and I'm on this medicine. It stinks. I hate asking people for help. I always have. For two weeks now, I've had to depend on people to take care of me and my kids. While I just lay around, complaining. It stinks. I can't sleep at night. I can't sleep during the day because my head aches. I can't take care of my children because my medicine makes me dizzy and stumble around. I think I'm depressed, even though I'm now on depression medicine that also helps ease nerve pain. I hate being on medicine. I hate feeling doped up. I hate feeling like a burden to my family. I'm tired. I hurt. People, many people, have layed hands on my head and prayed for the pain to go. And its still here. It stinks.

I know I have so much to be thankful for: a family who loves me and takes care of me, a church family who loves me and prays for me and brings dinner to my family, the fact that I only had Viral Meningitis and not the more serious Bacterial kind. But I'm having mood swings and right now I'm feeling sorry for myself. I want to be home with Chris and the boys instead of in my old room at my parents house. I want my head to stop hurting!!!

So, since I can't sleep tonight, I'm having myself a little pity party.

I won't be offended if you don't want to join me.

And I Had a Bad Day

I know I'm probably jinxing myself, but its been a really long time since I've had a really bad day. Until today. It was just awful.

It began when I accidentally dropped my iPhone into a glass of water. I still can't believe this happened. I loved my phone. When I realized what I'd done, I did some internet research, removed the SIM card, dried it with a hair dryer and stuck it in a bowl full of rice. And there its gonna stay for a few days. I know its silly, but I feel LOST without it. Cut off from the world. No Words with Friends. No texting. No listening to music while I wash dishes. It stinks not having a phone.

As if that wasn't enough, my children have...lets say...kept me on my toes today. Especially my youngest little darling. Some of his shenanigans today have included, but are not limited to : spraying the living room with water from the garden hose, spilling multiple bowls of water on the living room floor while trying to water the dog, dirtying at least 4 different outfits from playing in the mud, and taking a bath with the dog, trying to "make a break for it" by sneaking outside. Sigh. I get exhausted just thinking about everything he's done.

He has also picked on his brother. Non-stop. Shaun took it for awhile, but finally let go tackled Jordan...which led to tears...and drama...and whining. I was SO looking forward to Chris coming home, thinking that we'd take the kids swimming or to the park. Anything to get a little energy out!

Five o'clock came. Then six. And finally he called to let me know that there was an emergency case at the hospital, and that he'd be working late. Its now after 11, and he's finally on his way home. The kids are in bed. 1/2 of them are sleeping. I bet you can guess which one's still awake!


I'm about to give myself a dose of Benedryl so I can go to sleep at a decent hour myself. I'm ready to get this day behind me!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to < target="_blank" href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog /a> to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT become extremely embarrassed after church last week when my youngest little darling waltzed up to our pastor's mother and asked her if she was a senior. As in "senior citizen". Then, when she asked "What did you say? Am I a singer?" I most certainly did NOT tell a lie right there in the church parking lot, nodding emphatically and saying "Yes! He asked if you were a singer!" Not Me!

I did NOT place an order for a Twilight bumper sticker on eBay. In my excitement over the low cost and free shipping of said bumper sticker, I did NOT mistakenly order it in black....SO black, in fact that it doesn't even show up in my Jeep's back window. I also did NOT order another one, in white, the very next day. Not Me!

I am NOT currently unable to do any laundry because I let myself run completely out of my homemade laundry detergent. I was not simply too tired (i.e. lazy) last night to go to Wal-Mart for the supplies to make more. The laundry mountain in my laundry room is NOT magically multiplying as I speak. I would NOT do that to myself. Not Me!

I did NOT spend sixty dollars at the local RedBox machine this weekend because I rented two movies over two weeks ago and forgot about them. I did NOT ground myself from the RedBox after this. Not Me!

Funnies

It has really hit me, over the past couple of weeks, that my first baby is growing up. Really growing up. He's 10 now. I'm missing all of the "cute" things he used to do. The mispronounced words. The cute little mixed-up sayings. The weird, quirky things that children 7 and under can get still do and get away with because they're babies. The sweet things, like wanting me to lay with him at night until he falls asleep. Giving hugs when I drop him off at church. Holding hands when we walk to the car.

Even though I still do all these things with Jordan- I still miss doing them with Shaun. He's becoming so independent. Wanting to stay at home by himself. Putting himself to bed. Insisting that he needs a cell-phone because he's able to stay at his various activities by himself. Preferring to spend time with his friends instead of with us. Wanting to make his own decisions and try new things. Fixing his own hair. Choosing his own clothes. Growing up.

Sigh.

I knew it had to happen.

I've noticed something else, during all this growing. My boy is funny. Seriously funny. He loves to laugh. And play jokes. Just like his dad. And his mom too, I suppose. If you know me, you know that I love to laugh. Laughter really is some of life's best medicine. How wonderful that my child is also able to see the funny things in life...even when life itself isn't so pleasant.

Last week, Shaun had his annual checkup at Scottish Rite's Cerebral Palsy Clinic. He hates this visit. Not because the doctors do anything painful or evasive to him. He just resents the fact that he has to go to this appointment in the first place. So, he had a little bit of an attitude. Not too much. Just enough to get on everyone's nerves. I whispered to him that he needed to get over himself and make the best of things, since he had to go through with his appointment.

And he did.

As usual at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, before you see your child's actual doctor, they send in the resident. The guy in training. Who really doesn't know what he's doing. But we always humor these doctors, reasoning that they have to learn how to practice medicine someplace. So, in comes Dr. Resident. In a mechanical voice, he proceeds to ask Shaun some basic questions: Are you in any pain? How's your leg? Are you having any trouble walking?

I intercede here, because Shaun always pleads the Fifth when asked about his medical condition. I tell Dr. Resident that yes, Shaun's left leg has been bothering him and that his limp has been a little more noticable. Dr. Resident asks Shaun if he can check out his leg. Shaun nods, and Dr. Resident attempts to stretch Shaun's left foot back to check for muscle tightness. I notice a look of concern cross Dr. Resident's face. Almost like the look of panic. He looks at Shaun and comments that his leg is indeed extremely tight and wonders aloud if Shaun is able to walk at all. I give him a funny look and say that yes, Shaun is able to get around quite well. Dr. Resident then tries to stretch Shaun's foot back again. I notice his arms straining at the effort. Then I hear Shaun laugh and say "Wow...you're really strong!"

Dr. Resident looks up and cries "Are you resisting me?"

Hee hee. That child of mine. He played a the funniest trick ever on that doctor. He found an outlet that helped him deal with his feelings. I was overjoyed. Dr. Resident, however, was not amused.

The rest of the appointment was smooth-sailing.

Thank goodness for comic relief!

And everything went swimmingly, just swimmingly!

We swam a lot today. I mean, a LOT. Chris was off today, so he promised the boys a trip to Frances Meadows. Actually, bribed would be a better way to put it. We bribed Jordan with a trip to Frances Meadows if he behaved himself during nursing home visitations this morning. And it worked, so off we went.

We made it to the water park at 1:00. The kids (and the Hubs) swam. Jordan had a blast on the splash pad. Shaun swam 4 laps without stopping. Both kids frolicked in 12 feet of water. I freaked out a little, but they both surprised me with their skills. We ran into several friends from church, and one of them blessed us with four free passes. I was also able to visit with Chris' aunt for awhile, which was nice. We've never really been able to talk before.

Great times until 5:00. That's four hours, in case anyone's wondering. We left and stopped by my parents' house on the way home, where the kids went swimming AGAIN, for 2 more hours. One would think, with all the swimming, hot weather, and sun we endured, that my babes would have been ready for bed a long time before now. I know I was ready for bed around 9! But, they just now fell asleep. At 11:50. I'm anticipating a late wake up time tomorrow!

Seriously, today was great. We had a four day weekend with Chris, which doesn't happen very often. In fact, I'm kind of spoiled now. I'm gonna be sad when he leaves for work in the morning. Well, truthfully, I expect to be blissfully unaware when he leaves. But when I wake up, I'll be sad that he's gone. Really.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to < target="_blank" href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog/a> to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

While at a Fourth of July fireworks event with my family, my sister and her family, and some friends of ours, I did NOT have "adult conversation" with my sister and our friend throughout the entire National Anthem. Even though we were practically miles away from the loudspeakers, I was NOT oblivious to the fact that everyone around me was singing and giving me the evil eye. That would be so unpatriotic and I would never, ever disrespect my nation that way. Especially on the Fourth of July. Not Me!

I was NOT compared to the Taliban by my own husband for my (accidental) failure to sing The National Anthem. Not Me!

While at a youth conference with some teens from church last weekend, I did NOT send some of said teens on a mission to find an Eclipse t-shirt for me to purchase while I went into another store looking for jeans. That would be just crazy. And, I did NOT do this because I was too embarrassed to go into Hot Topic by myself. I also did NOT, after being unable to find a satisfactory shirt at the mall, find and order the perfect shirt on eBay. Not Me!