This last evening I had one of the scariest most humbling experiences of my life!!! The sickness bug hit our home Saturday with James being sick, then it hit HARD Sunday morning when Jane threw up all over her bedroom. Then Monday morning William was throwing up. Needless to say I was really tired of bodily fluids running around our home, and was quite kapooed. Then the beast of beasts hit. We had got the kids down and I laid in bed after getting dishes going and I felt awful. Stomach churning and cramping like their was a bear in there. I had one small boat of the runs and came back to bed. Then it hit me like a steamengine. I jumped out of bed ran to the bathroom and had constant flow for 5 minutes and throw up. I started to shiver uncontrollably and was breathing way too fast. James even got the blow dryer out real quick to warm me up. Really funny looking back now at how crazy our tiny bathroom was probably looking. Then the scariest thing I've ever had happen to me happened: my hands began to get tingly and numb and froze in a horrid position. I literally could not move my hands!!! It was scaring me half to death and James. As we tried to deal with it on our own we realized this was bigger than just a bit of the runs.
We called my best friend and neighbor to come to the rescue and sit at our home with our sleeping children. This dear friend has seen me in my hardest most difficult moments of my life! She was the one who came over while I was in labor with William and took care of Jane for us and then she saw me when I was frozen and frightened and lethargic with this sickness. She truly is a Bosem Friend that I treasure so much!!
James helped me into a coat and we drove to the ER. I have never been to the ER in my life and have never really been cared for in a hospital before. Having had my children naturally and never having got hurt or sick enough to go. So this was quite the event. In the waiting area James asked me as I was buckled over, "what are you thinking about?" And my quick response was, "I don't want to be here, and my babies!" Soon they got me in a room and James and I struggled to figure out the hospital gown ;), it was quite funny. Then they began the questions and getting my arm ready for an IV. The nurse asked me "are you a hard poke?" And I probably looked like a little child cause I had no idea what he was taking about, then we realized it was for the IV. Well, that was another first! I've never had an IV put into me before. He was shocked. And by the way he had the coolest curly mustache :). They poked about for the IV and blood work and were off.
My body was so freezing from the IV and beings so sick. They piled 4 blankets on me and I scored some hospital socks. We listened to Elder Hollands talk from this past conference on Mothers, I slept, and James was my hero at my side! They came back and said the blood work was very interesting and different which had me worried. But then learned that this was a reallllly bad flu bug case that hit me quick and hard. And my white blood cell count was skyrocketed! So there you have our late night at the ER. I am so grateful for the rehydrating abilities of an IV and the best neighbor a girl could ask for!!
Learning Tid-bit: Don't hyperventilate, it can lock your hands and make your limbs tingly! Get that classic brown bag and breath away! It's interesting how this sickness came on so suddenly and affected me SO strongly. As we left the ER early this morning I told James that it probably HAD to happen that way in order to slow me down and force myself to take care of me. Just minutes before I'd been doing dishes and all those other things that are on mommy to do lists. I am one who tries to push through no matter what. And I think this was a good reminder to take care of me. Moms can have a hard time doing that :). But it's oh so important!
