It’s the second most common ailment in the US behind the common cold. That’s what the doctors said I have. Basically, its an intestinal flu, but not related to influenza. This bug is easy to catch, and I guess mine was made worse by getting dehydrated.
So I arrive at the ER around 1pm on Friday at Foothill Presbyterian, and thankfully am escorted into the room without much hullabaloo. After a bit of a wait, the Doctor’s Assistant and I play 20 questions and she gives me a look-over. She then prescribes something I had been dreading – An I-V. I remember getting an I-V for my wisdom teeth and that they needed to give me laughing gas before it’d go in. She also wanted to get some bloodwork going, but since I was having an I-V, they could do it all through the same gizmo in my arm. Honestly, it was nice only to have to deal with the one prick, but man oh man, as I laid there on the bed, I just kept thinking, “there is this really gross thing sitting in my arm!!!” Needless to say I had that gizmo in the arm for about 3 hours. I can’t fathom those people who have to have one in for weeks. I think I’d die.
So in the little gizmo they took out a few vials of blood and gave in return: A liter of saline solution to re-hydrate me that felt like the Sparkletts container was being emptied right in my arm, some Phenergan and 2 hits of Toradol. The Toradol was my favorite. When they gave me the second shot of it, I felt like a million bucks. Now if I thought getting the I-V put into me was the worse, taking it out was infinitely worse. See, the nurse was taking out the tape as well as the gizmo so my hairs were being ripped out at the same time. It felt like she was pulling everything out with pliers.
After all that, they decided to give me some 800mg Motrin and Vicodin for my incessant headache which won’t go away. A day later, I can say the Motrin isn’t doing much, and the Vicodin takes almost all the pain away and lets me relax – oh yeah and every now and then get some really weird dreams.
I’m staying with my Dad until at least tomorrow. When I get home I’ll need to disinfect the entire house and stock up on some soft foods. But I do feel better already.