A snow day and a conversation

For the record it’s bad here today.  Snow flying sideways, sidewalks covered, over a foot to hit us.  We’re staying home today.  I may go in tomorrow, but that’s debatable.  It’s a good thing because I’m helping overwhelmed Stephanie by entering her clinic EOB’s.  Jason’s home already today. 

 

What do you do to earn a paycheck?  I sit on hold for hours listening to the same 2 song repeat.  These songs are so mellow and mind numbing it lulls me into a nap like state that renders it impossible to remember why I called the number in the first place.  Then I talk to someone with a thick accent with the name of Snow who cannot grasp what my problem is.  Or, if you want to be technical, I work in medical billing.

 

Wow that sound intresting!  It’s not.

 

How did you end up in that type of job?  I went to college and paid $7,000 to major in Theater.

 

Ok.  Well working full time with a small baby sounds like a lot of work.  How to you keep it together?  Oh, I eat well, find time to do my yoga.  And Valium and crying jags in my shower.  Mostly that last two things.

 

Is Jason helpful?  Indeed he is.  I’m a lucky, he wakes up with Kyle, he feeds him and gives him a bath.  Honestly he’s very, very involved with Kyle.  And I’m so happy he decides to help me feel more needed by giving me plenty of things to pick up and put away each day.

 

What do you like best each day?  Walking into Kyle’s room and seeing him smile when he sees me.  Then watching him sleep each night.  Oh and when he reaches for me.  Or giggles for me.  Or smells.  And when he throws a toy in my face. 

 

What do you like least?  Waking up.  I miss my bed until I’m in it again.

 

Is it true that you’re always cold?  Let me put it this way.  Frosty is warmer than I am.

 

I heard a rumor you’re done with Christmas shopping.  I am.  But it’s all hiding in my closet because I’m too lazy to wrap it.  Of course I will say it’s because Kyle will just rip anything up I wrap but let’s face it.  It’s because I’m lazy.

Told you

The day after Thanksgiving I got sick.  Now, those of you who know me outside of the computer world know that I am a very modest person who chooses not to discuss the intimate workings of her body with others.  Bear that in mind as you read this.

So, I got sick.  No stomach ache, no fever, no headaches but I had diarrhea.  The first couple of days I just dealt with it, it was a long holiday weekend, my niece Chye was here so she could lend me a hand with Kyle and it was just more gross than worry some.  By day 5 I started to worry.  A new twist had been added, periodically vomiting with no warning before hand.  It was like pregnancy all over again complete with getting up several times during the night to go to the bathroom except I wasn’t pregnant.

At day 7 I contacted my doctor who said it was the stomach flu, stay on liquids.  The back of my mind kept telling me that this wasn’t that simple but I stayed home from the Shewrin Christmas party and rested.  But my parents were starting to worry and my mom insisted I let my dad take me to urgent care who told me it wasn’t the flu but run of the mill diarrhea.  Gee, I didn’t know that but thanks for billing my insurance!

Saturday night I melted down and Jason got me a cheeseburger.  Oh it was so good.  I had been a week of living on Sprite, Gatroaid, Mrs. Grass noodle soup and other such bland offerings.  It was worth the pain, oh so worth it.

Yesterday at work I vomited again, only this time there was a tinge of blood in it.  Officially freaked out and in increasing amounts of pain I went to the ER.  Props to my nurse, Guy, who was able to get the IV started in one go and milked the vein for just enough blood for all the tests they had to run.  It wasn’t pretty but my hand isn’t bruised, the IV worked and it didn’t take 13 sticks to do it.  When I told him I was a hard stick he said he’d figured that because he had already been scoping out my veins as we were talking.  I really need to call the hospital and tell them what a great nurse he was.

The PA came in, ordered a cocktail of drugs for pain, nausea and to generally settle my stomach and ordered a CT scan of my stomach and pelvis.  He agreed that 13 days of this was probably something more than the run of the mill bug.  Come to think of it he was really good too.  Shook my hand, smiled, listened and looked me in the eye.  You know the way the run ER’s has changed a good deal.  Now they have separate rooms for each person, the ones at Waukesha have attached bathrooms for your privacy.  Instead of filling out tons of forms at check in they have a rolling cart that a person brings to you for your insurance and personal info.  And in this day of computers if you are already in their data base they can just confirm nothing has changed and move on.  I really need to call them.

4 hours, three blankets (one heated), and half a bag of fluids later the PA came back and told me I was right it was more than a bug.  Colitis.  A pretty nasty case of it too and he was surprised I’d not been in sooner.  Now I’m on a fun group of 4 drugs including 500mg of Cipro.  That means it’s another year of no Christmas wine for me.

All in all I’m lucky that I listened to that little voice in my head. When I got home I googled and found that bad cases often result in surgery or major infections.  I’m also lucky that Jason is the guy he is and that Kyle is the baby he is.  Little man slept until 8:30 this morning.  He’s never, ever done that.  Jason got up with him and has been letting me lay in bed and rest.  He’s at Target right now starting some of the grocery shopping and picking up more Dana friendly foods.

I’m going to go blow dry my hair and crawl under my electric blanket until it’s time to go see the Dr.