Sick of sick

I'm home from work again today.

I woke up yesterday morning at 6:30am. I went to the bathroom and about the time I was done with my business, I realize I was going to be sick.

That was the beginning of the end. I was up for the next four hours with what the ER called NVD syndrome (Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhea). By about noon, all I could do was lay in bed. I could get up to stumble to the bathroom.

I wasn't throwing up...unless I ate or drank anything including water. I was sweating profusely at times and was freezing cold...I could be bundled up in bed and I could *feel* how hot I was in the comforter but I was still freezing.

During the late afternoon, I was in bad shape. I remember parts of it (I think). I thought my mom was here. There were a few occasions where I couldn't move. It was hell.

Eli got home about 8:30pm from work and I told him we were going to the ER. Smart move on my part.

Diagnosis: Gastroenteritis (stomach flu), moderate/severe dehydration, and mild hypokalemia.

Translation: stomach bug, dehydration to the point that my body chemisty was completely out of whack. Hypokalemia is a lower than normal blood potassium level. Symptoms include weakness, paralysis, cardiac arrythmia.

1L of fluids, 2 potassium pills (HUGE), and three medications later, I can't say I felt good, but I did feel like I was going to die. I'm still very tired as I didn't sleep well last night.

I have my follow up appointment with my doctor tomorrow. But for today, it's saltines and what I call "ginger water". The ER doctor recommended drinking a mixture of 1/2 ginger ale and 1/2 water. The sugar in the ginger ale actually helps your body to absorb the water and it helps with nausea. So far it's working. I'm not drinking as much as I should be but I'm increasing how much I'm drinking slowly through the day.

It's back to work tomorrow. Oddly, I used to love to take sick days. Now I'm ready to get back to work. Maybe that's the difference, a true sick day versus a "mental health" day.

That's a blog for another day. I'm going to lay back down after having some more ginger water.