So weird

My car alarm and starter decided to start working again. Jut as I'm carrying 4 pkgs up my stairs in the freezing rain. Seriously scared the bejuz out of me. No more trudging out in the cold to start the car though. Loving that

Did that really just happen...?

Here's the synopsis...

• Car's auto-starter/alarm stopped working sometime over the summer
• When winter hit, my car kept tripping the house breaker (block heater on car that is)
• Breaker was checked. It's a 20amp and the 2 blankets together don't equal 5. Breaker was swapped and its good. Every plug car was plugged not tripped.
• Driving home from gym last week, rear passenger tire popped. Ended up driving 2-3 blocks before I realized. 
• Changed tire in -26. Took me 2 hrs and a phone-a-friend. Decided it was too cold to do without a block heater so I called my mechanic...
• Turns out block heater is leaking antifreeze and shorting itself out. 
• Part didn't come in on Saturday flight. Hopefully it makes the Tuesday one.

Oh, and yesterday it actually snowed... A blizzard too. First snow of the year. Just a bit different from last year.

Changing tire in sub-zero temps... New badge system

After spending the last 2 hrs changing my tire in -26 F weather. In the dark. I can say a couple things... 1) I love my Carhartt bibs and bunny boots... 2) cold metal is wicked. It burns. 3) thank the powers that be that full size spares exist and 4) I want a merit badge.

I had a friend come help me and we decided there will now be a merit badge system for Bethel. Changing a tire in sub-zero weather is deserving of a badge. We will have to come up with others. But still.

Happy and safe driving my friends.

Crud cont...

I'm going to try to keep this from getting gross but I feel I should update- and if nothing else, a cautionary tale. I posted yesterday about finally getting the Bethel Crud after 18 months of being here. So this is the synopsis...

Last week I ended up not going to the gym all week because I tweaked by knee slightly (just a slight ache really but given my knee's history i didn't want to go running 4 miles and push it) falling on the ice Monday morning, then by the time that was feeling better (Wednesday) I had my first massage in a while. Apparently, my insurance will pay for 20 visits per calendar year and the ear is almost up. I knew from massages in lifetimes past that you need to drink LOTS of water to flush out all the toxins released and I've also just laid the groundwork for the Fitness Challenge which starts first of the year so I was drinking a ton of water this week. I had something like 64 oz on Wednesday and Thursday each. Thursday i ordered a late lunch at work because i had worked hard through the last couple days and wanted to treat myself a little. I was still sore from the massage- i had to idea a person's bum could be that tight. i was still full from lunch by the time I went home so i have a light dinner (summer sausage and cheese) and then went to bed around 11ish. This is when the fun begins folks...

• 4:30am Friday I was woken out of a dead sleep to the tell-tale warning from my body, "girl, you're gonna lose your lunch. High-tale that rear-end to the potty-room". So I did, and I did- rather I lost my dinner. I remember thinking 2 things. 1- this is so gross and 2- after 10 hrs shouldn't that have made its way through the system already and be somewhat more digested.
• 4:30-5:30am I proceeded to evacuate from everywhere. I feel quite fortunately that it was always sequential and not simultaneous. 
• By 6am I was exhausted and texted my boss (her preferred method of calling in) to let her know I was going to stay home. 
• By 8:30am I was ridiculously relieved that I'd called in because I was up to round 4 or so in the bathroom. Checked temp: 97.8 ( I usually run a 96.8 so it was equivalent to most people's 99.6). Achy and starting to get the chills. I figured it was probably the flu. Just waiting on the fever.
• By 10am-ish (5.5 hrs into the ordeal) I was getting pretty intense stomach cramps and had already lost count of how many rounds of evacuation. These were simultaneous cramps on right and left sides of my stomach just under the rib cage. Random contractions of the entire stomach. Briefly I thought that if it didn't hurt so much it might actually qualify as a decent ab workout (I was grasping at straws trying to make myself feel better). I was actually getting quite nervous about appendicitis at one point in here but i still wasn't running a fever. So weak at this point I didn't want to chance walking on the ice to try and get the Imodium that was stashed in my car's first aid kit. I asked someone to stop by and grab it for me on her way home for lunch but the hospital was short staffed enough with everybody being out with the crud that she never got a lunch. Mom reminded me later that if it was in my car during the winter, especially last winter (which it was) that the extreme cold probably rendered it useless. i guess i figured it was better to try that than nothing, but i didn't end up getting it so it was a moot point.
• At 11am I was able to take some ibuprofen and took a 3 hour nap. Thank who/whatever you pray to. I opted- at mom's recommendation- to try and sip and force water down. I was throwing up so regularly before this i didn't want to think about it. Looking back- that was one of my biggest mistakes though it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference. I was exhausted and feeling so week but the ibuprofen seemed to dull the stomach cramps enough for me to rest a bit which was much appreciated. Sometime before this my bum had just gotten raw. burning from everything. I understand and feel so bad for babies with diarrhea and rashes. it's miserable and when you already feel crummy... it's rough.
• 2pm (waking up from 3 hr nap) rolls around with another round of multi-point evacuation (still sequential). I try to take more ibuprofen but it was not even 45 minutes before i threw up again so i doubt much got it. There was always a lull for a bit after an evacuation where it start to feel ok for a little bit and think maybe it was getting better. I was so wrong. The chills got stronger and stronger. i turned up the heat in my apartment to about 73 where normally its at 68 or so. I was still cold but i curled up in front of the couch and slept for maybe 30 minutes before the cramping got so bad i relocated to the floor in front of the toilet wrapped up in a blanket. 
• It's now 3:00pm-ish and the cramping so so severe i'm actually yelling out and crying. I felt so weak and pathetic. I napped a little longer in my bed but i was more like just lying there. the cramping and chills were so bad i couldn't really fall asleep. 
• 5pm- Jumped out of bed for another round of throwing up only this time... it was lime green. Not bile. It wasn't bitter at all. I then asked for 2nd opinion from a couple people and was told to go to the ER. On one hand I felt defeat. I haven't gone to the ER for an illness before. I've been for injuries but never so sick i couldn't just persevere and keep moving. Well... this was the time. Also, my head was hurting pretty bad. I couldn't tell if it was dehydration headache or Migraine since i didn't get caffeine today.
• 5:45pm I get to the ER and register. I dropped my stuff off in my office (next door to the ER and kept my ipad and phone so i could attempt to pass the time. I get ice-chips from the desk and try to work on sucking those down to increase fluid intake.
• 7pm I was triaged. grabbed a 2nd cup of ice. This is where time and even details get a bit fuzzy on me.
• 8pm-ish one of the nurses I work with sometimes pulled me back into Fast-Track. Its a program they set up to help with ER overflow after hours. Cases that a PA (Physicians Assistant) or NP (Nurse Practitioner) can deal with or cases where a nurse can take care of administering things get sent through to Fast Track. Think of it like being Triaged between actual ER and Urgent Care. 
• They set me up for IV fluids. I have notoriously bad veins. By this, I mean that they are small and like to roll. Often the depth is quite deceiving as well. I used to donate platelets and it's a fairly large needed (16/18) so we were hoping for the smaller needles (20/22) that it wouldn't be so bad. We were wrong. It took 3 sticks and a 2nd nurse before we got a good insertion. I do not blame them in the least. The Red Cross actually used me as a test dummy for their new phlebotomists and I can't begin to tell you the weird things that have happened to me with needles. 
• As I'm sitting there waiting for them to get the IV solution ready- i think they were also giving me some anti-nausea meds- I could not stop shaking and chattering. They gave me a heated blanket and my body absorbed the head almost instantly.
• They hooked me up to the IV and brought me a couple more heated blankets. 
• 10pm ish (Still Friday)- Halfway through the bag, I was almost convulsing with chills. They got me a few more heated blankets (i think i was up to 8 or so by then) and someone went to get my coat from my office to pile on top of me. Shivering so violently I was actually crying on/off. Just between being cold, tired, weak and to be really honest by bum burning, well, I couldn't keep it in.
• 11pm-ish When the bag was done they took a look at me again. I was still freezing and having found out that I hadn't actually peed all day they opted to put me on another IV bag. This time I pulled my arm with the IV under the blanket and onto my tummy so the fluid would hopefully be warmed a little before going into me. I also was so tired by then I just curled up on my side and tried to pass out.
• 12 midnight- My IV beeped to tell everybody i was done and i was surprised to realize i had actually slept about an hour.  As the ladies came in to check on me and i rolled over they asked how I was and if i needed anything. My automatic reaction when the right side of my head exploded was caffeine. They asked why and I told them i had a migraine. They unhooked my IV and then gave me 2 injections of Toridol (no idea how much, I wasn't in any shape to keep track). I was also thirsty at this point so they got me some juice and a trip to the potty had us cheering that i was actually peeing again. It's a certain kind of bad when peeing is something to cheer about.
• 1am Saturday- i was released with a bottle of Imodium and instructions for the rest of the weekend. I headed to the convenience store in town that is open till 4am and stocked up on Gatorades, V8 spashes, water, sprite and a coke to try and stave off more migraines over the weekend. I also grabbed a loaf of bread to work on toast as I started feeling better. I was honestly surprised I was able to carry that much liquid but i was feeling way more human after the IVs. 
• 1:30 am- juices all in the fridge and 1 next to the bed I passed out until about 7:30 am. 
• 7:30 am Sat- another round of southern evacuation. This began the Imodium being popped like M&Ms. Instructions from the ER was take 1 capsule after each loose stool. Well... this morning that was rough.  I didn't realize until later that the post-ER instructions said that fruit juice should be diluted. oops. Luckily it was only an 12 oz V8 Splash but it wasn't the best idea. I just felt like i needed some nutrients in my body if I could swing it. 
• Late morning- Somewhere between the multitude of potty runs i texted friends with babies and asked what the preferred diaper cream for rashes and diarrhea bum was now-a-days. Turns out it's Desitin. 
• 2:30pm i am starting to feel hungry so i made some toast. just buttered. a test. we shall see if it stays down.
• 2:45 pm- So having depleted half my Imodium stash (was given 20 when i left the ER at 1am, you do the math) and having a raw bum, i headed to the store.
• 3pm- check-out with diaper cream and Imodium... not my favorite. The cashier was one of the 2 people that had been keeping close tabs on me the day before so she looks at me and asks what the cream was. i said it was diapercream and you should have seen the look on her face. I made it out of there and home in one piece. I called the parents to let them hear my voice since they've been getting texts throughout the night and morning. They're on the other coast so it wasn't bad till i was leaving the hospital and it was 5am for them. But they wanted to be kept in the loop since I'm here by myself.  
• 3:30-5pm- phone with the parents. they were happy to hear i was feeling better. and it seemed like at least dad didn't realize just how dehydrated i was till he started putting the time-lines together. I got ridiculously dehydrated in approximately 12 hours. That's it. If I'd been out camping or if I'd waited a few hours more to go to the ER or if I didn't have the technology and common-sense enough to text people and ask if i should go when i was feeling unable to make the decision, it might have been worse. On one had, I feel like we've gotten much too reliant on technology but on the other, there are so many cases where it saves lives. Not saying I was close to death or anything, but i was pretty severely dehydrated. I don't want to think how that would have turned out without modern medicine, vehicles or communication technology.
• 5:15 pm peed without the runs!!! cause for celebration and another piece of toast
• 5:30-10:30 pm  Good long nap
• 10:30pm Saturday- did some dishes and stripped the bed. Changes sheets and took a much needed shower. I can't tell you how much better i feel having a shower for the first time since Thursday morning. new sheets helped too. 

Now it's early Sunday morning. My sleep cycle is all screwed up and my stomach still hurts. It's tender to the touch and i feel like it's swollen. It feels like my intestines are really angry with me still. I'm still drinking lots. I can tell you from personal experience if you have babies, that Desitin does in fact work. The thickness is a good thing. I know it almost feels oily and it's hard to wash off your fingers after applying it but that's a good design. you want it to stick to the skin like that so it can help heal the chap and it also protects from more wetness from -whatever fluid- irritating the skin more. I do highly recommend repeat applications throughout the entire process though. and for geez sake- please wipe gingerly and baby wipes are cooling. especially if after you're done with the rigorous cleaning you just place/press a fresh wipe over the affected area (seriously- this is what this weekend boils down to? advice in taking care of a baby's diarrhea bum... ::shakes head::). When the bum is raw like that it's really really painful. i would almost say the burning bum was as bad if not worse than the stomach cramps.

Oh that note... I'm going to curl up with a book and see if i can drink some more. lets see if I can feel good enough to go back to work Monday or if I need to give it another day. cross your fingers for me friends.