Surviving the Stomach Flu
WARNING: If you are grossed out by poop and puke talk, skip this blog post. Go on, skip along!
Things were going SO great. Life was chugging along at full speed, I was feeling in the flow and had things filling my day that I was enjoying - like going prawning with my dad daily (I love being out on the water).
Then... BOOM. Something went awry.
My mom was making this delicious smelling lentil curry by the time dad and I came in from boating. She gave me a taste and it was just as good as it smelled. She gave me some to take home for dinner. When heating it up that evening for dinner it did NOT smell as good as it did earlier in the day. Not that there was anything wrong or different with the food, it was my tummy. Something wasn't right.
I sat down to dinner and tried to eat a bit but it wasn't going down well. I felt queasy.
About an hour later I found myself in the bathroom on the toilet. Things down South were in distress. If that wasn't bad enough... I kind of felt like I was going to throw up. I haven't thrown up in YEARS so this feeling wasn't familiar. All of a sudden there it was, it was coming and since the toilet was occupied (by my butt) there was no where else to point but toward the BATHTUB.
It was kind of like this.. but with less rainbows...
Have you seen the Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix? I felt like I relived her bathroom scene. So.much.vomit.
So
much
.
I have to say this was a first for me. I never before had the pleasure of detoxing both ends of my body simultaneously.
After that I felt better. Throwing up got rid of that feeling like food was perched up much higher than it should be... but the feeling of relief didn't last long. Sadly. I spent the rest of my evening holding a bucket on my lap or having it next to my body just in case. I kind of wanted to draw a face on it because it felt like my new friend.
3am came with another trip to the bathroom. Thankfully the bucket came along because I was heaving into it. Water was pouring out of me like a firehose almost filling the bucket and then awkwardly having to dump it in the toilet before spewing again. ... and again. It's tricky timing between intervals but I still had the tub as my backup plan. The last round was met with sobs and snot leaking out of my face - you know, just to pretty up the picture a little more. I told my hubby to leave because, really, you don't want to someone you love witnessing this kind of horror scene. How is THAT supposed to keep the romance alive?
After all that insanity came the fever and body aches.
Now I totally admit it, I am a HUGE wuss when it comes to physical pain ( another reason I didn't have kids! ) As I learned earlier in the year when I had the flu - fever and body aches are my kryptonite. I don't deal with those well. How do I TRY and deal with the pain?
I moan.
Oh yes.
I moan and moan a little more.
I'm not proud. Don't judge. I can't seem to help it. It's my "coping" mechanism.
Have you ever let out a really deep sigh? You know the kind... deep breath in and Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Do it now, let it out.
How did you feel after? Pretty good I bet. (unless you're at work reading this and your coworkers are now staring at you).
But did it relax you a little bit? relieved a bit of tension?
That's the moan for me during the achey fever stage.
And yes, it can sound annoying and repetitive. But dammit I'm sick and if moaning a little (or a lot) makes me feel a wee bit better then I'm gonna do it! I even annoy myself at times but it also feels good to release it.
You know who wishes I didn't?
My husband.
Oh and the cats.
It makes them look at me like I'm possessed or something (maybe I am at that moment). I get it, I do. But cut the sick girl some slack man.
I applaud those who deal with physical pain and discomfort well. I am certainly not one of those people.
I feel like this is a pretty accurate visualization.....
But here I am, alive to tell the tale. Sickness sure does make you appreciate wellness that much more.
And if you are wondering why on earth I shared this all with you? It's because I am tired of only sharing the highlight reel of my life. I want to share it all. I want to be as real, authentic and vulnerable as I can and this blog post is going to catapult me there.
Besides.... what is more vulnerable than losing your shit I ask you?
;)
