Sick as a Dog.
Stubborn as a Wolf.
It began as any other evening, two nights prior. One hour or so after dinner, a simple meal of soup.
First, an upset stomach, overheating, and then nausea leading to projectile vomiting. After a few minutes of relief, the remaining contents of my stomach eject as if chased by a monster.
Dizzy, hot, and nauseous, I return to my chair to rest. Sipping pop, hoping the episode is over. After an hour, I drag myself to bed feeling like I have been up for days.
The alarm sounds at 4 am, just like every workday, but I am not functioning well. I am unbelievably sore, and wearing a slight rash on the right side torso. Quieting the alarm, I rise, slide into my house slippers, and take my first steps.
Immediately my stomach puts me on warning, nausea, and dizziness make sure I understand the seriousness. Taking another step initiates the pounding headache which will shadow me every step of the day.
I slowly make my way down the stairs to my charging cell phone. Text H/R I will be off sick, then spill onto the couch, where I pass out for hours. The landline wakes me as noon approaches.
I have pain in every limb, my abdomen is sore, and my back is screaming while my head pounds to the beat of a rock opera. I make my way back upstairs, drawing a hot bath, I watch fill. Once in the water, the warmth surrounds me and begins to penetrate but fails to soothe my aching body.
My stomach will not tolerate food, pills, or water early on. But as the day plays on, I manage some bottled water. Then later that evening, a small sandwich with something to dull the pain.
This morning, the pain is much the same but nausea and dizziness have ratcheted back a bit. I have lost a day but not whatever this is that plagues me. At least my mind has cleared enough for me to complain for all to read.
I live and must be a writer, for my first action above returning to daily life is to put to words the lousy last day and a half I have experienced. Somehow watching the letters paint across the page helps slightly. As if you are capable of healing me and mitigating my feeling like death.
So
What have you been up to?
