Sunday, November 8, 2009

Living and Learning

In my last post I mentioned how I wasn't feeling so hot after my Halloween weekend. The day after that post I was feeling horrible. I had a fever and body aches, I stayed in bed until 8pm. At that point I felt like my fever had broken and I decided to start cleaning my house. The next day....my birthday, I still wasn't feeling great but I felt a whole lot better than the day before. I DID NOT want to be sick on my birthday so I willed myself "better".
(The lesson to be learned is still to come...)
I had to get better because my drivers license expired on my birthday. I had waited until the last minute so I had to get it renewed that day.
Lesson Learned...don't wait until the last minute to renew anything.
I had been looking forward to renewing my license for FIVE years! And this is why....
*
*
*
*
*
IMG_5916
You see when I went to renew it five years ago I didn't realize I had to get my picture taken so I ran over to the DMV after I worked out one day. This picture is so hideous, every time I had to pull it out I was embarrassed. Seriously I look like a man!
Anyhoo, I made sure that I was not getting a bad picture, so I put extra effort into looking good. As I waited for my turn, I watched person after person get their picture taken and I couldn't believe how NO ONE smiled. I don't understand this! Well when it was my turn I worked that DMV camera....
*
*
*
*
*
IMG_5919
I am MUCH happier with this picture.
Lesson Learned...Every five years you have to get a new drivers license picture, make an effort to look decent.
That night Aric made me stroganoff and the he and the girls showered me with these gifts....
IMG_5910
I got a piece of chocolate cake all to myself...we recently found out Aric can't eat chocolate anymore because it has some acid in it that makes his kidney stones. So he didn't want to make a big ol cake. I also got a apple pie flavored caramel apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and some sweet onion chips. The best gift was my very own tool set. I had been asking for one. I am not fond of going out to Aric's tool box and not finding what I am looking for. Some of us are better at putting things back where they belong than others....No one is allowed to touch  my tool box!
By the end of the night I was starting to feel bad and I noticed a cough coming on.
Wednesday, not feeling good but still making major efforts to maintain our routine. Two of my friends thought that Wednesday was my birthday so I got two extra surprises. That night we had a bishopric dinner to go to and so we went.
Thursday, I'm really going down hill but I tell myself that I'm really not that sick. My friends had planned a dinner for me and I wasn't going to miss it. Funny things is three of my friends didn't come because they were sick or had sick people in their house!
IMG_5911
Friday morning, I'm in BAD, BAD shape. My breathing is labored, my cough is ridiculous and I am coughing up pinkish phlem. Yes I just said that, and yes I know how gross it is. Aric insisted that I go to urgent care, so I go. While checking in the receptionist asks me to wear a mask. I look around the waiting room, no one else is wearing one. I feel dumb, but do it. I get my temp checked I'm at 101. Who knew!?  I seriously didn't think I had a fever.
Then the doctor takes one listen to me and says you need an x-ray. So I go get and x-ray. I wait forever and then my doctor tells me that I have a severe case of bronchitis with what looks like the beginning stages of PNEMONIA! WHAT!!!!!?
He says that I probably had the flu earlier that week. I should have stayed in bed and drank water until it passed. But because I didn't, I am now  paying the consequences.
Lesson Learned....I have to take care of myself when I am sick. I need to slow down.
He gives me a prescription for an antibiotic and an inhaler. I get the antibiotics...three pills=20 bucks! The inhaler...45 bucks! I decided not to get the inhaler and went home.
My breathing got worse and worse. Amy let me use Mike's inhaler...after she swabbed it good and hard with alcohol...and it definitely made a difference. Before I went to bed that night, I used their nebulizer and I was able to sleep and finally breath again.
Lesson Learned...get the inhaler, there was a reason the doctor prescribed it.
On Friday Aric and I had to cancel our reservations for my birthday dinner that I had been looking forward to for weeks. On Saturday, my sister was going to take me shopping and I had to cancel that too.
Lesson Learned....birthday dinners don't have to happen the week of your birthday. The food will still taste good and I will be able to enjoy it so much more. Also, the deals only get better the closer it gets to Thanksgiving.
On Saturday I had four people bring us food! Seriously, I'm not sure how people found out I was sick, but the food and the phone calls were heaven sent.
Lesson Learned...a meal is not just a meal. When you bring someone dinner, it truly is a gift. Not just the food that was prepared, although it did fill our bellies...it was the love that was brought with the meal, that truly is the gift.
So now I feel much better. I am at about 75%. Aric has really stepped up and taken good care of me. He has insisted that I rest and has taken over the house and kiddos. I have been able to read two books...Hunger Games and Catching Fire.
IMG_5915
Lesson Learned...Aric takes better care of me than I do of him. I really need to work on that. Also, now I know why I am not an avid reader....I do not have the discipline to stop reading. I experienced this before when I read Twilight. I read three of them when my kids were at my moms. Then I neglected everyone for two days while I read the last one. Thankfully I had an excuse to be checked out the last two days. So now I know why I should never belong to a book club.

15 comments:

Lindsey said...

I am soooooooooo glad you are feeling better! How stinky to be sick over your birthday! This whole time I thought you were going to say it was the SWINE FLU! So glad it wasn't but sad you were sick anyway.

Anonymous said...

Oh my heavens. YUCK! I'm sorry that you felt so crappy. I wish i would have known it was your birthday. I would have intended to send you a gift. (i have THE BEST intentions!, Serioulsy, you're missing out on my good intentions)

The tool kit - we are soul sisters. I love me some reliable, un-dusty tools.

no chocolate????!!!!???? I felt sorry for you until i read that, now i feel more sorry for aric.

reading books. I am HORRIBLE about putting them down. hence the reason i rarely get to read. my whole house falls apart. kids neglected, food purchased from chick fil a, house a wreck, but i'm in heaven because i love love love a good book. i know if i had more discipline then i could be much more avid reader. i'll have to work on that...

take it easy this week. seriously! take some down time. promise?

mrsmonje said...

Omg!! Im so sorry your sick! It seems like everyone is sick around me :( Get better soon and you will be in prayers!

Ilene said...

Happy Birthday, I think?

Those books are good ones. No one can put those down.

Okay, is that a current picture? Bonnie is pregnant? I'm so out of the LL loop. Sheesh, you would think that I haven't lived there for a couple of years or something...

calibosmom said...

Oh MAN! Happy Birthday girlfriend!!! Sorry it was so yucky but it sounds like you still had a little bit of fun. I too would NOT have missed any of the fun and plowed through the sickness. I'm lovin' your new license photo.

Lauren in GA said...

Sorry you are sick....and have the beginning stages of pneumonia!! Yipe!

You look beautiful in your new driver's license picture!

Happy Birthday...do they make, "Get Well Soon" Birthday cards?

Anonymous said...

by the way, i got into bed last night and realized that i didn't even comment on the best part of your entire post. your DL picture. I laughed and thought of Ralph Macchio. Your new one is gorgeous. your old one is too...in a karate kid sort of way. have a wonderful day!

♥Shally said...

1. You could never look like a man. You are too beautiful

2. Great job spicing it up for the DMV picture.

3. SLOW DOWN! Sheesh. :)

4. I too, have no discipline when reading a good book. It's hard to function when I stay up till 4 in the morning reading.

5. GET BETTER!!! Being sick is no fun- especially for busy mommies.

Leah said...

You probably had swine flu. I hear it is way way way more common right now than seasonal. But seasonal is just starting to show up. So maybe it was that! Who knows. Anyway, it's good news that it is survivable! Get well soon and happy belated birthday! My driver's license picture is worse than your old one! I'll have to prove it to you sometime. You are way too cute to ever take a bad photo.

Melissa-Mc said...

No fun. I'm sorry you have been so sick. And happy belated birthday! Very cute drivers licence picture.

AMY said...

whoo hoooo! Very sexy photo.

Mrs Ana said...

Sorry you had such a bummer of a birthday but your picture turned out fabulous! So glad you're feeling better. love you!

just the five of us said...

Happy Belated birthday to you! Hope you are feeling better. :) Hey your baby turns one soon too:)

Jean McKendrick said...

So what did you think of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire? I read them both this past month too!
You sound like me (not buying the inhaler because it was $45). I almost didn't buy my life saving epi pen because it was $25, idiot. I did get it though. :)

kthom said...

"Seriously look like a man..." HAa,that made me chuckle out loud. Congrats on a fantastic picture. I'm looking forward to that myself this year. Hope you're on the mend.