March 28, 2006

I'm finally recovering from about two and a half weeks of the flu. I haven't been that sick --ever. I'm still really tired most of the time, but I get better everyday.

It all started on a Tuesday night a couple of weeks ago. I got home from my stake meetings at about 11:30 PM and did some work for about thrity minutes and gradually started feeling really tired and achy. I fell asleep at my computer, with my head resting on the keyboard. I went to work the next day, but felt really terrible.

That evening I had a meeting with a website client that I've been working with and really didn't want to go. I felt terrible, but I had put the meeting off twice already, and I didn't feel like I could put it off again. I asked JD Taylor to come with me (he's been doing some design work with me on another project). I somehow made it through the meeting with my best face on, but after the meeting I just let go. I asked JD if he would drive me home -- I was freezing, and in pain. I quickly got worse.

I didn't got to work the next couple of days. Amy Ritchie and the kids were in town, so Erin took the kids and left alone so I could rest. About a year ago, when I had felt simmilar -- I bundled myself up in sweaters and blankets and basically forced myselft into a fever. The fever burned the illness out of me and I felt completely better the next day. I decided to try the same thing this time. I bundled myself up and slept most of the day -- nothing happend. Nothing happened except I got so dehydrated that on Thursday afternoon I almost passed out while having a shower. I managed to get out of the shower and call Kevin to come pick me up and take me to the emergency room. He thought I was joking.

When Kevin arrived, I did my best to get my coat on and walk to the door. Cooincidentally (or not) Steve Miller called me looking for a key to the church. Kevin answered the phone and told Steve that I wasn't well. Steve told Kevin not to take me anywhere, but that he was on his way and would be at my house in a few minutes.

Steve arrived and he and Kevin gave me a blessing. I dare say it was the first blessing he has given as a stake president. After the blessing he asked me to lay down on the couch and he gave me a quick physical exam and instructed Kevin to take me to the emergency room at the Foothills hospital. He told me it was possible that I had kidney stones, or a bladder infection -- but that he wasn't sure and I should go to the hospital to get some proper treatment. Thankyou president/doctor Miller!

Keving took me to the Foothills, which ended up taking an hour just to have someone talk to me (I coulnd't see much because I had my hat pulled down over my eyes). The triage nurse took my blood pressure and listend to my heart etc.... She told me to get comfortable because just then (at 7:30 PM) they were only seeing patients who presented at 11:00 AM. Brutal.

I ended up spending the night in the hospital -- where they pumped 3.5 liters of saline into me. I didn't sleep for the pain I was in, then the doctor gave me some serious pain killers and I went right to sleep. The pain killers did make me really jumpy though -- and I had really strange dreams.

My folks came to visit me the next day, and at about noon, I was discharged from the hospital and sent home. I didn't feel much better, but at least I was re-hydrated. It took me another full week before I was in any condition to get out of bed. After that week, I went back to work for only half days. I didn't sleep much during that week. A couple of nights I didn't sleep at all -- but instead lay on the couch downstairs moaning in pain. I really have never been that sick.

If there was any positive to come out of being sick, it was that the NCAA March Madness tournament began at the tail end of my illness, and I got to watch almost ever first and second round game in every bracket. Something I don't think I've ever done.

I'm feeling much better now -- tired, but better. I'm basically back to about 90%. Wouldn't you know that within a few days of my feeling better, Gracie got some sort of stomach bug that kept her vomiting and having episodes of diareah for the next couple of days. I don't know how Erin has done it. She's kept our home functioning and as heathy as possible for the last three weeks. She's borne the entire parenting and household load.