Sick day

Did you know the phrase 'sick as a dog' comes from the early 1700s? Apparently it was common to compare undesirable things to dogs. Not that they were disliked, but they were often carriers of diseases spread to humans.

I have no idea how I acquired what I went through last night, but I wouldn't wish it on the mangiest of mutts.

I suppose it started yesterday morning. I noticed I was just sore everywhere. My legs were stiff, and my ribs felt like my old football days after a game. I thought maybe it was because Tuesday I'd had a stressful day emotionally. For no particular reason I had some serious brain cloud and was grumpy all day (so maybe it started then!). Anyway, I did my usual run yesterday afternoon, and felt good during that - another 27-minute 5k followed by a 2-mile walk (I've only done a handful of 5ks that fast - I was sprinting the last 100 meters of each quarter mile).

It was after I ran that my stomach started to ache. I thought maybe I was hungry, so I had a perhaps over-ripe banana. It didn't taste great. I'd had one of those frozen bags of 'Italian Protein Blend' for lunch. I wasn't sure about that at the time either. Anyway, after showering and supper, the pain started to spread to my entire trunk from below my chest to my groin. It also intensified. It was uncomfortable to sit. I thought I just needed to lay on my side for awhile, so I went to bed.

Whew, that didn't help. I felt like I was going to explode. I finally went into the bathroom, and started to sweat. A lot!

Then it finally happened. I puked. I don't even remember the last time I puked, much less the last time I felt like this. This was maybe the most unexplained pain I've felt in.... maybe forever.

I went back to bed, sopping wet but feeling momentarily better. Then it came back. It was like having pregnancy contractions. Every minute or so the pain would come back, and was nearing unbearable.

Finally I grabbed my garbage can and lay on the living room floor. The cat came and tried her best to comfort me (as Jane had been doing in bed). I puked a couple more times - though not much came out - and each time I felt a little better.

I have no idea what time I went to bed, but I woke up around 5am and felt... okay. It was such a relief. Jane had called one of my supervisors around 10 last night and said I couldn't work Thursday, so I went back to sleep and am now easing into the day.

I've yet to have anything but a cup of coffee, and am feeling plenty tired and drained, but am hoping I'm over it. 

Like I said, I don't even remember the last time I was sick like this - if I ever have been! I was miserable. I think this is also the first time I've had to call in sick to work since I've had this job (almost 5 years). I felt bad, but there was no way.

The good news is.... I get to start this day in my favorite way. Wake up on my own, have a coffee and sit down and read at the computer, then write this. I really wish I could start every day like this. Although, I'm hoping tomorrow (and the rest of today) I can avoid repeating last night! Woo doggie.

I'm thankful for a warm house to be sick in, and a loving wife to tend to me. It's not a dog's life, and that's quite alright.

***

"Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly" - Proverbs 26:11

 

A day of movies

I had a bit of head cold or allergy issue last week/weekend. Nothing serious, but a runny nose, sore throat, watery eyes, and general lack of energy. It started Thursday and when I got off work Friday morning, I drove home, parked the car in the garage, and plopped into my recliner at 9:30 am and basically did nothing until Saturday afternoon when the grand kids arrived. Nothing, that is, except watch a bunch of movies!

All told, I watched at least four movies (that I can remember), and some other random TV. Here are the four movies I recall...

• 7500 - This is a 2019 action-thriller starring Joseph Gordon Levitt about a terrorist plane hijacking. I believe the entire movie was set in the cockpit of an airplane. I'm not sure how good of a movie it is, but it was sufficient for a sick day. I even fell asleep at one point and backed up to see what I had missed. I liked it.

• The Florida Project - This is a 2017 film which wiki says is an "American slice-of-life drama." It stars Willem Dafoe and a host of unknowns and first-time actors. It centers on the life of a six-year-old living with her delinquent single mother in a motel near Disney World. The gut-wrenchingly sad contrast between the trouble and hardships of people who live so close to the wonderful world of Disney and those who visit the theme-park is what makes this so powerful. I thought Dafoe was fantastic. As much as I dislike what the movie is about, I thought it very well done.

• The Disaster Artist - Another film from 2017, this one stars brothers James and Dave Franco. It is reportedly a biographical comedy-drama based on Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell's book of the same title. It is about the friendship between budding actors Tommy Wiseau and Sestero that resulted in Wiseau's 2003 film 'The Room,' which is widely considered one of the worst films ever made. This is no great masterpiece, and, ironically, by the end of it I realized I'd already seen it. Still, it was a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon of doing nothing.

• The Machinist - This is the 2004 psychological thriller starring Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh. It's the role where Bale consumed nothing but water, a daily apple and cup of coffee, and occasional whiskey, in order to drop 62 pounds in 4 months. Talk about changing your appearance! Anyway, he played a machine operator whose insomnia and psychological problems lead him to an even deeper downward spiral of guilt, paranoia and delusion. It was a bit gross and creepy at times, but it kept my interest into the wee hours. If you like such things, I'd guess it is a pretty good movie.

I don't normally veg in front of the TV for this length of time, and I suppose it was partly because Jane was gone (visiting my mom and her brothers). I'd say it did me good to get the rest though. Nothing to see here but... some movies!

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters." - Psalm 23:1-2

Mostly dead all ... week

Unlike Wesley from the classic, 'Princess Bride,' my arms do seem to work. Yet I feel not only have I been "mostly dead all day," but more like a week, or more. I've lost track of how long I haven't felt good. Basically I've felt like this for as long as I can remember now. I sleep a lot, cough up a lot of phlegm, blow a lot of gook out my nose, and occasionally eat a little food and drink coffee, tea or water. I've been sick.

I suppose it's the flu, or a sinus infection, upper respiratory thing, or some such yuckiness. Jane has had it too. She finally went to the doctor yesterday and got some antibiotics. I probably should too but it's always so hard to tell what you're "supposed" to do or not. If it lingers into this coming week I will go because that will means it's been at least two weeks. It's not a 'stuck in bed' sickness, but more like 'feeling slightly more aware than a zombie' stumbling through life.

WORK
I think I've been working the 5-9 am shift for the last two weeks (Monday-Friday). Although New Year's Day I worked noon-4 pm. I tried to find someone to work for me, but I not-so-surprisingly had no luck finding anyone to help out.

CHRISTMAS BACK HOME
We went back to Buda to have Christmas with my parents last weekend. Jane and I left after I got off work at 9 am Friday. We made good time even though it snowed the last half of the trip. It continued to snow the entire rest of the day, so much so that the Feipel's decided to wait until Saturday morning to come (instead of after Drew got off work).

Friday must have been when I felt sickest. My nose was running like a faucet, and I wasn't much good for anything all weekend. Carrie wasn't feeling the greatest either, so hopefully we didn't infect my parents.

Anyway, Jane and I were in Buda from Friday until leaving Sunday morning. We were supposed to go out with friends for New Year's Eve back in Fort Wayne, but I was not up to it so we brought in the new year from bed. The Feipel's were in Buda from Saturday morning until returning Monday.

It was probably not the visit my mom was hoping for, but I suppose just having someone there with her for a few days to take her mind off dad helped somewhat. Dad was more confused than usual and spent a lot of time in bed - except at night when he was imagining some kind of other reality and wouldn't sleep.

ELSEWHERE
Other than that... I don't really even know what to say. I honestly have little recollection of anything else since Christmas. I guess I removed Facebook from my phone. So I've spent hardly no time on social media for a week. I haven't missed it.

Okay, that's all I've got. Maybe my arms aren't going to work so well after all...

Weakened weekend

I think we could use another day of weekend around our house.

Friday we did not have our weekly "date night." Partly because we were going out Saturday night, partly because we babysat the kids for a few hours, but also partly because my back was still quite sore. So we stayed home and vegged in front of the TV.

Saturday morning we reversed roles and I went to work while Jane had the day off. I worked at the Downtown facility and it was one of the slowest days I've ever had. I had one phone call, one person asked where the restroom was, another asked about the carts... and that was the extent of my work from 9 am to 2 pm. Otherwise I pretty much just sat in the office chair. Not that I'm complaining, because I think it did my back good. I felt much better.

Saturday evening we had a dinner party. Eight of us went to the Japanese steakhouse Takaoka. It's kind of a tradition with this group of friends to go there whenever it is someone's birthday. This time we were celebrating mine and Dave's. Somehow during the day I seemed to develop like a head cold. It may have just been allergies, it doesn't matter though, because my nose just started running like a faucet. So, while I really like the food at this place, I was feeling less than chipper. Jane also likes the food, however she has had issues with this type of food not liking her. Well, we went to Mike's for awhile after supper and played a stirring game of 'Catch Phrase,' and sure enough, just after we got home Jane started to get sick. She was up the entire night throwing up, and I had a miserable cough and running nose.

We are not entirely sure that Jane's problem was the food, because apparently daughter Carrie had the same symptoms and she did not eat with us. Even so, I did not finish off the leftovers that we brought home... just in case.

Sunday was a pretty worthless day around our house. While my back felt some better, it was still sore, and sitting/sleeping in the recliner has started to cause soreness in itself. Jane pretty much never left the bed or couch until late evening when she joined me in the basement living room. Suffice it to say, we did not make it to church Sunday.

I guess at some point I did have a short burst of energy and used the electric leaf blower to blow some of the leaves in our yard out to the curb. I didn't really feel like it, but I was afraid of what the neighbors might say/do if I didn't do it then because I wasn't sure when I might next be able to.

Of course Sunday night ended with me staying up til midnight and watching the Cowboys lose in OT to the Eagles. Once again I slept in the recliner due to coughing and sinus drainage. And now it's Monday morning and time to go back to work. Ugh.