Just a little weekend get-away

What has happened to my poor little blog!?!? I have so many thoughts and stories that cross through my mind that I would love to blog about, but suddenly it seems I can't find a spare moment to sit down and write. (A spare moment where I still have the brain capacity to actually put two coherent thoughts together, that is!) :)

I do have somewhat of an excuse for the past couple of days though. Maybe I should present a doctor's note for missed blogging days? ;)

After a couple of days with a stomach bug, it was decided that Alan needed to spend a night in the hospital for observation. (if you are interested in all the medical details you can go here and click 'read journal').

So... when you go to the hospital for a visit like that, and it is after hours, and a weekend, the first place you go is the ER. Oh, and isn't that a treat. The ER is basically full of kids with things that I would take mine to a pediatrician for. But apparently these people don't have a pediatrician. It all has something to do with no insurance and free healthcare, but I don't know how all that works.

Anyway, we check into the ER. At least they are expecting us because our doctors have called and told them we are coming. I overhear someone say we are "level 2". Whoo-hoo. Aren't we special? All I know level 2 means is that we don't have to wait as long as all those people packed in around us.

Oh no. We only have to wait an HOUR. Surrounded by every type of cough I can imagine, with a couple of people holding those kidney-shaped pink puke buckets, just for good measure. Oh how I wish I could have held my breath for an hour.

At least they had a movie on - Shrek 2. Good distraction. Except for OH - it was in SPANISH. I'm not even going to go there.

But I couldn't concentrate too much on our Spanish movie or all the germs swirling around me, because I was too busy coming down with whatever Alan had had that got us there in the first place. Oh yes. The nausea was fabulous. I am one of those types that has a hint of nausea and I go horizontal, not to move for a couple of days. Yeah, well, try that in an ER full of coughing, spewing germ-carriers.

After our hour in the upper dungeon was up, we got called back to the depths. But the depths are much more pleasant. (relatively speaking, of course). We had our own room there. But I couldn't help thinking of all that coughing out in the dungeon and wondering about all of the people that had sat in this very same private room all day before we got it. *shudder* But hey - we did have the option of English tv. But since Shrek was in the last 10 minutes we decided to finish it instead. You know, to increase our Spanish skills and all.

All was going pretty well until Alan had to get poked. Four times. That was not pleasant.

Not to mention the fact that I was supposed to be carrying on intelligent, medical-parental conversations with every level of medical professional there is. Every person that came through the door wanted the whole story, beginning with "was it a normal pregnancy?" all the way to "and what brings you here today?" Even though they have this information on paper right in front of them. And I had to answer all these questions and relay all these details, when all my brain was telling me was "DON'T MOVE OR YOU MIGHT THROW UP". Yeah, I'm sure they all thought I was soooo 'together'.

In fact, after a couple of hours of this I finally 'fessed up to one of the doctors that "I feel like poo." Oh yes. I am so mecially savvy. I use technical terms for describing how I feel. You know, like 'poo'.

Oh well. The job got done. And I am very happy to report that I did NOT throw up. Oh I came very close. And I did have some er, other problems. But thankfully, everything kept moving in its natural direction.

After first entering the ER upper dungeon at precisely 6pm, we were finally led to Alan's bed for the night at 12:30. By 1:30am we were finally all 3 settled in to our beds. And blissfully, we were not woken up at 6am for a blood-draw or 6:30 for rounds or 7 for shift-change. Nope! Alan was awake for a little while around 5, but after he fell back to sleep next to me, we slept until 8. 8 am! That is amazing for being in a hospital!

Not a lot to tell from the whole day (it was long). And this post is already long enough. But I want to leave you with a picture. They told us we would be getting released around 5pm. Knowing full-well how things really work, we started bugging our nurse at 4:45. And, by 10 after 6, I was signing release papers. But during that long, restless hour we had to entertain ourselves (and more importantly, Alan) somehow. Enter: bucket rides! :)




















Alan loved it! He is just getting good at baby-signing more, and this gave him good practice. Whenever the bucket stopped, he was ready for more. And ready to climb out.... so keep it moving please! :)

So there you have it. My doctor's excuse for not blogging these past few days. :) Please watch your step: as I read back through I see there is sarcasm dripping everywhere. :)
Oh - and I am feeling much better! I never 'sort of' get any sickness - I either get it or I don't. But this one kind of brushed me, and I know it is thanks to God's goodness and all of the prayers for us as we headed off into this weekend hospital venture. Thanks to all of you who were part of those praying, and thank You Lord that we are home again! :)