Fade to Black {Or My Trip to the ER}

What covers over 2/3 of the Earth and is necessary for life?

What makes up about 60% of the human body?

What should the average person consume more of while ill and feverish to avoid dehydration?

What should a breastfeeding mother consume more of to avoid dehydration?

What should a breastfeeding mother of five, who is ill and has a fever, consume copious amounts of to avoid ending up in the hospital?

Now, do you have any idea how much water that actually is? 

Well, apparently, I don't.

My upper respiratory infection developed rapidly from a sore throat on Thursday to head congestion on Friday. After a night of poor sleep, I got up early Saturday to head to the soccer field to watch the boys' first games of the season. {I hope that, one day, my boys appreciate the things that we have done for them.} NG was also not feeling well so I ended up taking him home after IB's game. By this time, I was feeling very worn out and could feel the congestion creeping down into my chest, but puttered around doing a "few more things" before I finally plopped myself down in front of the TV with my sick boys. I spent the rest of the evening there and finally developed a fever. It didn't take long before my fever climbed to 104.5. I took an acetaminophen and called Papa Bear because he likes to be informed of the goings-on at home while he is working. One of his co-workers overheard our phone conversation and offered to finish Papa Bear's shift so he could come home to take care of me. {Thanks, J!} During this time, I was drinking water fairly consistently but I hadn't been throughout the whole day. When I would get up, I felt a bit woozy and just marked it up to the congestion and high fever. Papa Bear came home about 11:00 p.m. and we went straight to bed. He monitored my temperature, made sure I had water, and walked me to the bathroom a couple of times. I passed out twice before, once while in labor but the other time I was feverish and he caught me falling  out of the shower unconscious. Right before dawn on Sunday morning, I had to pee again and I told him I would be okay...

Seconds later, this is what he heard...

{loud clunk} as I "lifted" the toilet lid

{"nnnnnnn"} in response to him asking if I was okay

This is what he did...

Needless to say, he made a dash for the bathroom just in time to catch me as I was falling into the tub and hitting my head on the faucet. He yanked me up and started slapping my face, yelling my name, and alternately, yelling for M1 or NG, who were both sound asleep upstairs with their doors closed. M2 was sleeping in our bed and Papa Bear was afraid he would wake up and fall off, so he needed help. M1 finally realized that Dad's voice wasn't just in his dream and stumbled down the stairs in a panic. M2 had already woken and slid himself off of the bed, so M1 grabbed him and watched as Dad carried his limp Mom to the bedroom. Papa Bear propped up my head and feet with pillows, checked my heart rate, and kept asking me questions, trying to bring me to full consciousness. Everyone should be so blessed to have live-in emergency personnel. He called our niece, the nurse, and then the emergency room. They both said to bring me in because something was definitely going on. Then he called my mom to come stay with the boys.

This is what I remember...

As I walked the very short trip to the bathroom, I began to hear the familiar static in my ears and felt weak and woozy. I barely remember tossing the toilet lid up too hard and sitting on the toilet. Then... BLACK. I could hear Papa Bear's voice yelling at me from faraway. I wanted to respond but the words wouldn't come to me. I wanted to move my arms or legs but they were heavy and limp. Gradually, I could respond but, at first, only with muttering and then simple words. My most used word was "tired" because Papa Bear kept asking me how I felt. It took too much effort to do more. After several minutes in bed, I was able to think more clearly but was still weak. I remember the worried looks on their faces. My youngest son sleeping on my oldest son's shoulder. Papa Bear trying to maintain control despite his deep concern. Papa Bear told Mason to put a pillow and blanket in the car, start it, and set up a couple of chairs along the path to the door, in case I needed to stop and rest as we walked out to the van. 

At the E.R....

The trip was uneventful. There was only one family with a sick baby waiting when we got to the E.R. When it was my turn in the triage, I sat in the wheelchair answering the nurse's questions when I felt that familiar feeling again. He saw the look on my face and immediately started wheeling me back to a room. I could feel myself going limp in the chair and the blackness was closing in on me again. I guess being vertical was causing my blood pressure to drop. As soon as they got me in the bed, I started to return to "normal". Several nurses worked at getting me hooked up to the monitors and started an IV. After five hours, two bags of fluids, a flu swab, chest xrays, blood and urine tests, they determined I only had a virus and I was dehydrated. Or "three quarts low" as my nurse put it. Thankfully, she was cheery and the doctor was pleasant. Actually, everyone was but that may have something to do with the fact that my husband is in there all of the time when he's working and knows all of them. 

Back at home...

My lovely momma had stopped to pick up the boys favorite donuts and chocolate milk before driving 40 minutes to our house. She had washed all of my dirty dishes and was working on my mountain of laundry. She changed diapers, wiped snotty noses, and rocked the baby. M2 flung himself into my arms with relief that Momma was home. The older boys gave me unsolicited hugs. I lay down in my bed and nursed M2 and  Papa Bear took a nap because he was sick and worn out also. M2 wouldn't go to sleep or leave my side, so I hung out on the couch and in the kitchen with my mom. LJ brought me daffodils from the yard. The sun shone, the birds chirped, and the world was in living color again.