A Day in the Life of......

Resuming Normal

Once again, given my current state of mind and body, I'm not exactly feeling the dreamy, creative, humorous side of life right now. So, this is just a boring, stick to the facts kind of update. I'm sure at some point in life this'll be entirely funny...but right now it still kinda hurts too bad to be funny.

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I will start with the fact that food poisoning is about one of the most not so entirely pleasant, unfun things in life one can experience. I think that is about the most miserable I have been for the shortest amount of time ever as far as sicknesses go....course when you feel as though you 're dying it doesn't exactly seem so short. Overall it was really only 6 days...4 of which were really obnoxiously horrid. At some point in there it seemed to be an entire system failure and I told attentive, entirely sympathetic husband my body needed a reset button. If ever one thing led to another to another this was it. Dehydration led to migraine. And then due to the fact I couldn't move for two days I nursed on my side which led to a clogged duct since I never changed positions. But since I was already on antibiotics for bronchitis it never turned into mastitis....not that I really would've noticed at that point. And then I was told I absolutely had to start eating again at some point or this whole process would just be a vicious cycle the lack of food became a detriment rather than an asset to the whole thing. When it went from being just a stomach virus on steroids to blood entering the picture we both knew at that point something was really just kind of wrong. I lost my appetite Monday night and attempted food for the first time again Saturday...and that was 3 pieces of toast, some probiotic yogurt with probiotic supplements and some gatorade...food of which I have never in my life been so proud to say I ingested. I was actually a bit excited about getting on the scale. I figured that'd be about the fastest weight loss ever known to mankind and I'd see some 10 lb 6 day drop. But, much to my dismay, I weighed the exact same crapped out thing I did when I started the whole thing. Still not so sure how that one worked out. Everybody has their starvation mode theories but common sense just screams that if you don't eat you're just going to lose weight. You can't go without food for days on end and maintain cattle scale status....but somehow I managed to accomplish that feat. Brad is quite adamant that it's due to all of the IV fluid I've had going but that theory doesn't exactly pan out either due to the fact I dehydrate again in a mere 24 hours, if not less. And when I say dehydrate...it's not exactly the "I'm thirsty" kind. It's the "I can have 2-3 bags of fluid and not pee afterwards for 24 hours" kind. I can safely say after this experience that I don't ever wish to experience this one again.

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I couldn't have asked for more in a husband than what I had throughout it all. He continues to amaze me. Just when I think I certainly could not have it any better he rises to the task at hand, lays himself down, meets every need he knows I will have before I ever have them and loves me in ways that only true fairytale love could. Husband turned bedside nurse told me over and again how absolutely beautiful I was throughout it all. He stated that I was by far and most definitely the prettiest sick patient he'd ever attended to. That is some serious true love there. It did, however, make me feel a bit Audrey Hepburnish. If food poisoning could ever be romantic it'd be the deathly ill girl with the long flowing hair swirled all over the pillow melodramatically with the fever flushed cheeks and the chapsticked lips with the desperately in love man standing by her side meeting every need she ever had....minus the 2 smiley babies and naked two year old with the wild crazy hair piled up in bed with the sick girl. With the load he was carrying of both children and running water plant I refrained from saying anything or eluding to how bad I felt but after this many years of marriage I didn't have to say anything for him to know....and I love that about him. Of course, when you can't get out of bed for 2 entire days it becomes a bit apparent....especially around here. How very grateful I am for older children who can keep a house running even when I cannot. Kitchen stayed clean, laundry was done and floor stayed picked up. And while Brad was traveling with Grayson, Garrison and Grant Evye was able to manage everything astoundingly well. She and Aubrey managed the little ones that were home, made meals, brought babies to me to nurse, changed diapers, gave bottles and managed to keep the house running and presentable. Pretty impressive.

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The only downside to having a husband that runs your entirely rural tiny town water plant would be that if he doesn't show up to run it you...and the other 220 people in town.....drink contaminated river water for the day. So, while I was laying under 22 layers of covers shivering so violently my teeth chattered and drifting in and out of sleep he was running back and forth between plant and bedside meeting my every need. His patience with me is one of the sweetest gifts in life. And while he had to work and leave throughout it all I respected him for it and he continued to return home for me, checking in every spare moment he had.

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Despite the many bags of IV fluid my body still does not really want to stay hydrated. So, I have until tomorrow to do it on my own and keep it within or we'll do yet more IV's until I'm actually back up and running. Still kinda hard to want to eat or drink anything and keep it within once I do...but everything that was causing blood to show up in places blood should never in a lifetime be finally quit.....so, we're on the right track!

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And I worked out Monday even when I didn't feel good but by Tues things were going downhill pretty swiftly so I lost an entire week. That was pretty irritating.....or really, a lot irritating. I've been told not to work out again until I'm back to eating normally and everything has returned to normal as far as body goes. Not sure how long that'll be at the rate I'm going...seems a bit slow right now....but maybe by Tuesday. Kind of frustrating.

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But, it could've been much worse. And really it could've been a lot longer. When I was 10 I had pneumonia, typhoid fever and petroleum disease (not called that anymore but I can't remember what they renamed it) from swimming in a green slimy pool at Bible camp. It lasted 3 months, I was hospitalized for some of it and had to have blood drawn daily for 3 weeks and then every other day for another 6 weeks. I was seriously sick. Then the miscarriage was awful in and of itself and that lasted 13 weeks. So, this definitely rates in the top 3 worst sicknesses ever but it was by far the shortest of them all...and for that, I am entirely grateful in every regard. I like short.

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Thanks to the OLIVE GARDEN our date night was remembered long after it was enjoyed. Really makes you reconsider ever eating out again. But then I know me and I love eating out way too much to let one episode alter the rest of life. Recouping is slow going but on to health and wellness and life again!

Survey Says

...it has been determined that I have food poisoning. Since I already had bronchitis my immune was compromised ...which did not bode well for anything that came along after the fact. Stomach bleeding and all kinds of fun stuff. More bags of IV fluid. I'll be back to blogging when I feel alive again.

And I have no clue what this is but it seemed like a pretty good depiction of what I imagine food poisoning to be.

Sick

Fever of 103.1 for 2 days that won't break, sinus infection, bronchitis, stomach virus, have not eaten anything in 3 days, 2 bags of fluid but cannot get ahead of the dehydration curve between body trying to make milk, fever and puking, cannot even begin to stomach the thought of any food yet tons of meds on an empty stomach results in stomach revolt. Brad took 3 of the boys to Greenville, a 12 hour drive round trip, for a day trip for something that could not be postponed. If it's not better by tonight when he returns he said he's taking me to the ER. I don't want to be gripy.....but this is really, really, really kinda miserable.

Growing Babies

I'm not feeling very creative at this point and words seem to elude me. A sinus infection has turned into bronchitis and sinus pressure has resulted in a 3 day, unrelenting headache that refuses to go away, which seems to alter brain function a little.





Baby boys are now sleeping through the night consistently. Such an amazing milestone...especially when two are involved. They go down at 10 pm and wake at 8 am. But, now on a schedule and sleeping through the night means they need more quiet than our bedroom provides and so the bittersweet transition has taken place. They have now graduated to the nursery. I've never missed a baby booted out of our bedroom before but I really miss these guys in there with us. Not sure exactly why. Paramedic husband is adamantly opposed to babies sharing the bed with us due to the many calls he has run of cobedding infants that have ended in utter, preventable tragedy. The "it'll never happen to me"actually happens to alot of unsuspecting people. Sad, sad stuff. So, we cosleep in the same room but not the same bed until they sleep through the night. Then they graduate! And at 4 1/2 months these little guys have graduated. I'm grateful for the uninterrupted sleep but missing my little sleeping buddies. Teeth, jabbering, sleeping through the night babies...they're not so tiny anymore. How much I love this stage. They are entirely, amazingly, delightful in every way. I don't think I've ever held my heart in my hands like I do when I hold one of my children. To truly know these boys now and their personalities...to make them smile and laugh....is absolutely one of the most amazing things to ever experience in life...even the 9th and 10th time around. Sweet, sweet growing boys. How truly blessed we have been....ten times over. I am so desperately in love with my sweet boys. Twins the 2nd time is just as sweet and just as amazing as the first time around.





With Grayson actively apprenticing and learning his beloved skill and trade and Evye swiftly coming up on his heels with her own desires we have been praying for direction. It would take a miracle to bring it together for her, just as it did with Grayson. And since we serve a God that loves to work miracles..but in His time and not exactly our's....Evye is now the proud owner of a horse named Champ. One of the best horse trainers in the region is a 20 year old girl. She and Evye bonded immediately. So, through no small miracle Evye is now the proud owner of a massively expensive horse that we were given for a fraction of what he is worth and she is being trained and groomed to barrel race in the rodeos by one of the best trainers around. Once we acquire a trailer we'll start attending playdays until she gets good enough for the rodeo scene. Just as we rely on the Lord to provide for us...because the salary of one of the lowest paid fire depts in the state of Texas surely doesn't provide for us...so we rely on Him to meet each of our children's interests and life pursuits. And over and again He has proven Himself faithful in every way. He has been faithful to give us these chidren and over and again He proves Himself faithful in providing for each of them in every way.

The broken swing on the right that is now fixed! Beautiful days of playing outside.

Waiting for his head to pop out. It never did. Smart turtle.



The epitome of nasty disgustingness.

Happy, sleepy boy....and lookin' a little bit like daddy.

Juicing

I really love the BB's right in the middle of it all. Adds a nice touch.

Champ and Evye

She rides him from sun up to sun down...after school and chores are done..which she completes in record time now.

Sweet twin pics

My new view from the backdoor. Pretty awesome.

Rowdy boys

Early morning bed buddy

This became our after workout fun. 22 total mounds that were like running on sand hills. Definitely did the legs some good. Children and I did this for half an hour 4 days in a row until they finally came and spread them out all over the road. It was definitely fun while it lasted! My favorite is the familiar little 6 year old standing proudly

claiming king of the mound in the 1st pic.