When I do something, I do it right!

Alright. My big shebang is now on my blog...

January 20, 2016, I came home from winter camp and went right to the ER for a rapid strep test, which came back positive -- for strep, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and tonsillitis. Not a fun combination... Well, the antibiotics they put me on made me dehydrated, but I didn't know how dehydrated until later.

By Friday, I had developed a bad cough, so my mother had me in to the doctor. He gave me a cough syrup that was really strong. It knocked me out and I slept the night through -- it was bliss!

Saturday morning, my father left for work because of the snow. It was already several inches deep by the time I woke up.

I sat up in bed, feeling woozy from the cough syrup. I expected this, having taken this particular syrup several times before. I got up, walked out to the kitchen, and got a drink. My throat was still sore, but it felt better when I drank something. I ate a yogurt and took my antibiotic. My stomach felt off, but I figured it would settle down. I was just hungry, right?

Within 30 minutes, I had emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet. I guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought... My brother, hearing me, brought me a cup of water to rinse my mouth out with. Having done this, I vomited. To spare details, I quickly realized that I again had keytones in my stomach (this is nothing new for me).

My mother gave me an antivomiting pill, but I threw that up as well. I threw up several more times, coming into dry heaving. Nothing stayed down. By this point, I was so weak I couldn't stand up, so I crawled everywhere. My lack of hydration and my puking had given me a horrible headache, and when my mom left to go call around for a four-wheel drive vehicle to take me to the hospital for fluids, I began to cry, trembling from the pain and weakness.

Finally, the pain subsided enough for me to think; I got myself into a jeanskirt and T-shirt, pulled on some boots, and managed to grab my coat. I pulled on my gloves because my hands were cold and climbed into my jacket. I crawled out to the living room and hoisted myself onto the loveseat.

My mother came in just the and said the ambulance was almost there. I was shocked! I knew I didn't need an ambulance. I just needed fluids! But there had been no other way to get me to the ER.

Within minutes there were three or four paramedics in the room. I had to take off my coat and gloves while the one man tied that piece of elastic around my arm.  Trying to find a vein, he flicked and tapped and eventually slapped my arm several times. Thinking he found one, he put the needle into my arm. Unfortunately, he couldn't get it -- I was much too dehydrated. He tried and  repeated in my right arm, becoming successful in finding a vein this time.

On went my gloves. My coat went about my shoulders. A paramedic in front, behind, and on either side of me helped me walk out to a stretcher. My brothers had plowed and shoveled down the street so I could get to the ambulance. (Side note: the first ambulance came with a plow. The plow got stuck, then the ambulance broke down. The fire station sent two firetrucks with men on board to help dig the ambulance and plow and me out. The second ambulance came. This is the one I went on. I, however, was too I'll to notice this for myself.)

Once outside, I was swarmed by paramedics. I was helped onto the stretcher where I was buckled in and taken for "a fun ride". I was dizzy most of the way because of the lights and  movements, though.

We reached the ambulance and I was settled in. The paramedic that attended me inside the house now gave me fluids in the back.

We got to the hospital and the nurse and doctor gave me antinausea meds and another bag of fluids. After getting a prescription for under-the-tongue antinausea tablets, I was sent home to continue recuperating.

But it was near the end of a blizzard. Who could pick us up? Not my dad. He had to stay at work till Monday night. Not Jon or David or Grandma and Grandpa. Who would we call??? While my mom was puzzling over this, our hero texted my mom, saying he could come pick us up and take us home. We quickly agreed and the staff sent us out to the waiting room.

Our hero showed up in his chariot of green Jeep with four-wheel drive within 15 (or so) minutes. When we got to our street, my mother made the comment, "I'm not sure if you can get down our road." What a silly thought! Our hero could do anything! He pressed the gas pedal (and with only a little dizziness on my part), made it easily down the street.

Helping my mother and I out, I turned with a smile and said as brightly as I could, "Thanks for getting us, Sam!" And with that, David helped me into the house.

The End

*Any specific questions? Ask in the comments!