Home for the Holidays

On Tuesday evening, I was going out to get dinner before the school board meeting (because isn't that what everyone does for fun?) but felt really sick. I was talking to Beth (handsfree, I'm a safe driver!) on the way and ultimately decided to go home instead. When I got home, I had to walk past the kids and back to our room. Every hour and a half after that, I was violently sick. After about 6 times (not being able to keep even a sip of water in), Beth started putting some things together for the hospital. While trying to talk her out of it, I got sick again (and then again on our way there). I should learn to not disagree with Bethany when she is right. While in the hospital, they gave me an anti-nausea medicine (and then a second dose, and then a different anti-nausea medicine) and after about 4 hours, a couple liters of fluids, some x-rays, and a drink of CT scan contrast, I got an hour nap. Finally, I felt much better and was excited to start talking about going home. Had we not done the CT scan, I would have gone home. Instead, we got to have conversations about urinary retention and other things that sound even less Christmas-y than that. I was finally discharged after an 8 hour visit and Beth brought me home and let me rest. I couldn't stomach the thought [very lame pun intended] of eating anything but wasn't sick again. On Thursday, I still slept a lot and finally regained some color - I was glad to be up and around and feeling almost like new. This morning (Friday), Bethany went to work and my sister Lauren came to watch the kids in the morning. She did great with them all morning (despite getting up to be at our place by 7!) - no promises that she didn't go back home to go to sleep though! Bethany called to say she had been feeling very sick and was coming home from school an hour early. Yikes! I straightened up our room, got a fresh glass of water beside the bed for her, closed the curtains and tried to get things calm for when she came home (she sets the bar very, very high when she takes care of me). Unfortunately, after she got home, I had to tell her that I had blood in my catheter bag and needed to go back to the ER. I drove myself (my dad met me there) and Bethany stayed home to rest (she wasn't happy about that, despite my assurances of "I'll be fine..."). Bethany's parents had the kids out (at Jellybean Jungle) and my mom came to the house in case Beth needed anything. I was at the hospital for about 4 hours and left in better shape (so they tell me). Bethany was able to get a little bit of rest and is starting to feel much better. Beth's parents have the kids for tonight to let us both rest and recover (I can't really take care of the kids by myself with the catheter and Beth obviously doesn't want to spread her germs to them). We'll see what tomorrow holds. We've already had to scrap our Christmas Eve plans and are expecting to need to modify our plans for Christmas Day - we'll be "Home for the Holidays" but not quite as the lyricist intended!