I’m heading back to the hospital for more tests, and there’s an excellent chance they’ll be re-admitting me to the hospital–yay. 🙁

Which means no computer for awhile… here’s hoping I’ll be home by the weekend.

So Sunday night I ended up going to the ER, after calling my dad and deciding that I kinda did look yellow (which turned out to be the understatement of the year). I followed the coworker to the largest hospital in the area, and parked. She said she thought I looked awfully yellow, too.

Point: If you want immediate attention at a busy ER, say you have jaundice. The response is remarkable.

I was instantly whisked back, my vitals were checked and everyone vehemently agreed I was yellow—very yellow.

Yes, the insider was severely jaundiced.

After taking some blood (four vials, sheesh), they then proceeded to give me a shot in the ass (for the itching). Let me tell ya, shots in the ass hurt really, really bad. And it didn’t work. See, jaundice is caused by a build-up of bilirubin salts in the blood, under the skin. Most antihistamines only control itch caused by things on the skin. Therefore, I have terrible itching over my entire body (including my eyeballs), and they can’t give me anything for it… except sleeping pills and phenobarbital (which “supposedly” might help the itch, but only makes me pass out.)

Then they attempted to start an IV in my right forearm and because I stress out, the vein vanished, so she had to pull it out and start it in my left elbow. In other words, I have massive bruising all over my arms—lovely.

Here’s the real fun part—they never started an IV, they just left a saline lock and a damn needle in my arm for two days. Grrr.

So I stayed overnight at the hospital two nights. They took enough blood from me (four times, 12 vials) to create another person.

They’ve run tons of tests and they still have no idea what’s wrong with me, so I’m back home now. Apparently my bilirubin was at a 10 (it’s supposed to be at a .6) when I first went it, it dropped to a 9 and now it’s back up to a 10.2… so just imagine how yellow and itchy I am. It’s disturbing. I look like Big Bird. 🙁

The drugs are starting to work now, so I’m going to bed.

Update: Telling your religious dad you’re on birth control? Not so fun. Apparently I was a little right about the bc. I could have thrombosed something near/in my liver, so tomorrow I’m going for a CAT scan and some sort of other tests.
And now my dad and mom are all appalled that I’m having sex. If I didn’t want to die before… sigh.

So here’s the thing. I’m itchy—almost constantly. I’m trying the whole “mind over matter” thing, but it doesn’t really work all that well. I have trouble sleeping, I hate putting on clothes and leaving the house and my eyes burn a little. After doing much research online, I’m pretty sure I might be slightly jaundiced—as the whites of my eyes are a little yellow… but that’s about it, so maybe I’m not jaundiced. AAAHHHHHHH!

I didn’t fit with any of the main reasons for jaundice/itching… until I saw that BC, more importantly estrogen, can bring this about. Looking back over the past couple of weeks, I have to wonder if my being so sick and taking antibiotics, while still taking BC, has brought this about. If so, the only help is to stop taking the BC (I did, two days ago). Then today I read that the itching might persist for a few weeks (or months), until my body has “realigned” itself. I want to die.

There are a few documented cases where people with an itching problem committed suicide, and I half to admit, I totally understand that. It’s debilitating, to say the least.

Anyway, the point of this diatribe was to say that while I will try to keep up with the blogging, I might fade in and out—just functioning is a chore lately.

Update: And irony… apparently the antibiotic I am on has caused severe itching in those being treated with it. Lovely. Stupid drug.

I passed 10,000 visitors sometime between Tuesday and today!

I feel so loved by you people. 😉

Yeah. Not so much really.

I’m sitting in Dallas, waiting for my flight home. They’re behind schedule pretty bad, mechanical problems again… in other words, I’m just hanging out at the airport, hoping beyond hope that they get me on a plane home tonight.

If I didn’t remember before why I hate traveling, I do now. The planes, the people, the sickness… truly an enlightening experience.

Update, 12:38Am: Made it home alive thankfully.

So we got another test back today. It was the throat swab that had previously said I didn’t have Strep A or B.

And I don’t, but lo and behold, there’s a “rare hemolytic streptoccoccus, not A or B type” and guess what…? Yep, that’s right, I have it. Grrrrrr….

The lab faxed it to my dad’s office on Friday… and we just got it today. He got all cranky that they didn’t call and tell us, because apparently it’s really not that good to go this long without antibiotics. Lovely.

So now I am on the meds and hopefully will feel much better by the time I get on the plane on Thursday.

Going back to work after the holidays sucks. Especially when you spent most of said holiday ill.

Granted, I’m still at my parent’s home in Seattle, but I am working darn you! Not all that well though. I have to keep pausing to cough for several seconds at a time, the evil book of hell keeps freezing up my screen and my mom’s cat is now sitting on my shoulders, trying to get my attention. (I think she wants some love.)

And now the real reason I am blogging… an argument with my dad over how long cookies should be baked—I want to note here that he killed some oatmeal cookies. They are hard and ridiculously crunchy… seriously, you can crumble them up and use them as granola. He thinks they are the greatest cookies ever—”the crunchier, the better.”

I ask you my people, soft or crunchy? Don’t you love that gooey center?

All y’all are fabulous for sending me well wishes and such… that’s so kind. 🙂 🙂

I hope all of you had a lovely New Year’s Eve, and I wish you all the best in the year to come.

I’m looking forward to an illness-free year of lots of fun and even more travel, but for now, I’m all curled on the couch watching The Last Samurai, drinking tea and waiting for my senses to come back.

I have an ear infection now… along with the coughing/choking, sore throat, headache and dizziness.

And itchiness. I am very itchy.

I am not in Hawaii. Stupid fucking sickness.

My parents had plans for the weekend, so I am home alone in bed. They keep calling me, asking if I want to drive up to the cabin where they are at and play Scrabble and watch movies, etc. I think they’re not un-happy I didn’t get to go to Hawaii, and that really pisses me off. Not that they are happy that I’m sick, just more comfortable that I’m not in Hawaii with a guy they’ve never met engaging in all sorts of debauchery.

So, after six days of sickness and one day of depression I have four days until I go home.

And I have to be well first. Plane rides with ear infections are hell.

But I really want to go home.

Then I can start counting down the days until I get to see the Man.

Valentine’s Day isn’t that far away.

So I’m all packed and ready to go, and still, sadly, feeling quite below the weather. I fear that this flight will be torture. A plane full of happy people heading to the sun for New Year’s… and me, Sicky Mcphee.

Lovely.

Update @ 12:30: Well, after a serious bout of throwing up, a massive migraine ensued. Then my dad came home and my mom called the airline and so now I am not going to Hawaii. I’m just too sick. And I am incredibly sad, in addition to being sick, because I hardly ever get to see the Man and now I don’t know when I’ll see him again.

So I am back in bed, trying not to throw up again, very upset that I can’t get on the plane and I can’t stop bloody crying.

Life sucks.