A Thanksgiving I’ll never forget…unfortunately
Not that anyone really wants to hear the gory details of my illness, but here they are for posterity’s sake.
I started to feel sick to my stomach when we left the relatives’ house around 8 on Thanksgiving night. We tried to run some errands, but eventually Brad insisted we go home because he could see how awful I felt. At home I laid in bed for a short time before deciding if I just make myself throw up I’ll feel better. So I did. And I did. Feel better. For a short time.
That’s when I posted, and it wasn’t long after that that I found myself staring into the toilet again. And again and again. I tried to take Pepto Bismol, but that didn’t stay down long. And my body wasn’t even accepting water. I was on the bathroom floor crying, sweating, then shivering, moaning and sobbing that I can’t do this anymore please make it stop. I tried to call my mommy for a little comfort, but she had turned her phone off.
Brad kept me company as best he could, and finally insisted we call the emergency nurse line. I talked to a nurse who, after asking me about 78 questions, insisted that I go to the emergency room before I dehydrated. Before I even got off the phone, Brad had everything ready to go, and after one more visit to the bathroom (I think I was at about 6 by then), we sped off to the hospital.
Where we sat for HOURS! It’s all kind of a blur for me, I was lightheaded and dizzy the whole time, in and out of the bathroom, (this is where it gets really unpleasant) all the fluids in my body coming out both ends. I insisted we sit on the most uncomfortable bench the whole time because it was closest to the bathroom.
After two long hours, I was called in. Before I knew what was going on, they were drawing blood and giving me an IV. I hate needles more than I can explain, so that was not my favorite part. I thought my misery from all the puking would numb the needle stick, but I felt every bit of it! Then they put me in a bed in the hallway and covered me with warm blankets. The fluids that were pumping into my body were chilled, so my blood was literally running cold, which made my whole body shiver. I had four blankets and two coats on top of me and I still couldn’t control the shaking.
But laying down and getting the fluids made me feel much better. Eventually they moved me to a real room where we waited some more. I did talk to a doctor for a minute, who said she wasn’t going to let me go until I could give a urine sample. So they injected some phenergan into my IV (ouch!) for the nausea and gave me another bag of fluids. That’s when I passed out, and Brad curled himself around two plastic chairs, trying his best to get a little rest.
Finally at 630am my fluids ran out and I was able to give a urine sample, which was fine, except the act of walking to the bathroom did not agree with my stomach and I threw up again. I didn’t want to go home, I wanted to stay in the hospital bed and not move until I felt completely better. But there were others with worse problems than mine and I needed to move along. I struggled to even walk to the car, but somehow Brad managed to carry all my crap plus keep me standing upright.
He got me home and into bed by 7am. We slept until 3:30pm the next day, and then I did my best not to move all evening. Brad went out and got my popsicles and magazines, and that’s what I did all day. I haven’t thrown up again since the last time at about 6:30am, but my stomach is just waiting for me to make a wrong move and then it will all come back to haunt me.
I do know, however, that I was very lucky to have Brad with me. I really don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t been there. Probably passed out in a pool of puke.
It was not a fun night, something I hope to never go through again. I hate vomiting, I hate hospitals, I hate IVs. I know it could have been so much worse, but at the same time I wish it never would have happened. I’m not sure I can ever look at Thanksgiving the same again.
Wow, that’s awful. Any idea what might have caused it? Food poisoning? Did you eat stuffing that was cooked inside the turkey? I know that can breed all kinds of bacteria, if not prepared right. Glad you’re better, but yikes! Not fun!
For everyone that wasn’t there, and for those who don’t know Shannon, you should know that this was a nightmare night for her. The puking and the other unpleasant bathroom experiences were bad enough, but then they had to go an give her an IV! But she just gritted her teeth, made some weird faces, and took it. I was very impressed and very proud with how Shan did with everything that was thrown at her that night.
Good job babe, and I hope this all becomes a distant memory for us very soon.
Jen, no I didn’t eat any stuffing. Actually I didn’t eat anything that Brad didn’t eat, and he didn’t get sick at all. It sure felt like food poisoning though, so maybe I grabbed a bad piece of turkey or something.
Brad, thanks for being so supportive. I’m glad you were there with me!
Awwww, you poor thing. I hope you are feeling better. That sounds absolutely awful!
Just a note, and doahleigh readers, don’t take this too personally, but I thought it needed to be said:
It’s funny to see that once the word “abortion” is mentioned, this website gets flooded with comments and opinions from a variety of people.
And Shannon being in the hospital? 1 comment (from someone other that Shan or me.)
I mean, I know it wasn’t that serious, but I was standing in the emergency room, looking down at Shannon who was shivering in a hospital bed on Thanksgiving night (sort of) with an IV in her and doctors and nurses in and out to give her this and that. It was really quite scary and not a position you want to see anyone you love in.
I’m just disappointed in the amount of support, is all.
This same thing happened to me a couple months ago. I took a antibiotic for a yeast infection and it ended up flushing out everything in my whole body and I was left sweating and dehydrated. I had to go to Urgent Care and do the waiting thing. I was so thirsty but I would take a sip of water and lose it out of both ends seven minutes later. It totally sucked. Sorry you had to go through it. Glad you’re feeling better now.
Hey ME.
Sorry your Thanksgiving sucked so bad. Glad you made it through it all! Sorry I didn’t offer support earlier, but I was home in Middleville and had no internet tubes through which to view your lovely site. You know how Middeville is.
Throwing up sucks. IV’s suck. Waiting in a hospital sucks. I can’t imagine a worse Thanksgiving for you.
Brad, you’re a gentleman and a scholar. Your the boyfriend all guys should aspire to be. Now when the girls I date say, “You’re an ass, and so are all men!”, I can say, “Brad Bice isn’t! He’s a great guy!” I’ll still be an ass, but at least now I have a counter-argument.
-Jason
Jen, Jess, Abigail and Jason,
Thank you for your support. I stand corrected!
and Jason, thanks for the nice compliments.
Brad, would have been by sooner to find out about the hospital incident and pass along well wishes but the Thanksgiving weekend kept me away from the blogs.
Thanks for everyone’s concern. I feel lucky that both my real life friends and my internet friends stopped by to wish me well.
And thanks Brad for looking out for me.
I just want to state FOR THE RECORD that my internet was down during the days of shan’s awful illness. HOWEVER…I did call as soon as I heard the news. Am I off the hook?