Back from the Dead

So, on Friday, I got into the office, had said few more words than, "Good morning," when the Boss said, "Go home - you're sick!" I knew that I was sick, but I'd been out on Wednesday, and there was work to do - was she sure?? Yes, she was. Home I went and into bed, with the alarm set so that I wouldn't miss getting LMNOB to her OT appt that afternoon.

Without a lot of any forewarning, Charlie Brown decided he wanted to help his father put in a sprinkler system in the backyard for Memorial Weekend, since it was 20 years overdue. So, a venture to the hometown was born.

In a haze of sinus pressure, I sent my mom an e-mail saying we'd be there and for her to call me if she wanted to get in touch. I had no idea of her plans, and really didn't know how I was going to fare with this crappy cold. (Sidenote: LMNOB has picked up my habitual usage of crappy as an adjective. Must. Stop.. NOW!) Besides, new classes were starting on Tuesday and I needed to get started on the reading.

Go to OT. BT the OT kind of round-about-ly says she wishes I'd have canceled, in that I-know-it's-important-to-you-but-how-good-is-it-if-I-get-sick? kind of way. I kept myself covered and across the room from them as much as possible, while LMNOB picked out the heaviest medicine ball (a sign of being "truly sensory" as BT the OT put it) for BT the OT to roll over and around LMNOB's body and joints, respectively. LMNOB loved this. And truth be told, I think I would have too, as much as I like deep tissue massage, I think that would have been totally up my alley.

Go home, pack. Hack a lung up - gag as a result (I have never been able to gracefully hock a loogie - I mean seriously, like anyone can do that with grace - errr...I've never been able to hock a loogie with ease, all nonchalant and its-a-fact-of-life-we-all-have-snot like) - and whoah, nelly, up comes the chuck. Yum.

Hit the road, Jack.

Had the weirdest phenomenon occur, in that every time I closed my eyes, I saw the screen from Bejeweled 2. Yeah, I'd put some serious time in on that game the past two weeks - I am sufficiently and successfully weaned now. Anyway, the Bejeweled backdrop of my eyelids was counterproductive in my aim to sleep it off. That and the fact that as we crested hills and plunged into valleys, my ears would not equalize the pressures. I think it was related to the fact that every cavity in my head was plum full of mucous.

Checked in with the IL's. Hit the sack, never to wake again all weekend. Save for the 6am trip to the potty that left me gripping the toilet seat with panic as the room was painted black. I used to faint all the time as a teen when I had way-low blood pressure...this was different. A blackout, without the loss of consciousness, the threat of which was this strange wave-like roaring in my ears. Tried to do the Valsalva manuever to bring my BP up and that did nothing but pop my ears beyond the point of comfort. Sit. Eventually the scenery of the bathroom comes back before me.

Ok, wipe, wash hands, walk into the kitchen, and WOW! There goes the room again! It felt like the room was spinning and as I grabbed a chair to stabilize myself, I opened and shut my eyes several times to try and make the room appear again - each time as I opened my eyes, it was as solid black as if I'd had my eyes clenched shut. Oh, Holy Hell, I thought, as I felt pain beginning to spill into my temples, I am going to die of an aneurysm, in Craig of all places, at the ripe age of 28. This was scary. More scary was the length of this episode; I probably stood at the chair for 5 or more minutes waiting for my sight and strength to be restored.

Tick...tock...tick...tock. The daylight broke through the darkness before my eyes, and I cautiously returned to bed...where I stayed most of the weekend.

Charlie Brown checked the e-mail over the weekend to make sure that we didn't overlook my mom - but we never heard from her. This was ok, as I was such a big ball of snotty-goodness. Thankfully, it was a low-key weekend and I got plenty of rest and recuperation.

Yesterday as we came home, I was feeling much better - sinuses completely dried out and clear.

Today I resumed work in the office, and my nasalness is back - it's got to be allergen related. I saw that my mom had e-mailed yesterday, saying that she hadn't gotten the Friday message and that she was bummed. ::sigh:: Me too...but again, that health factor was severely lacking, and the visit wouldn't have been much fun.