A Morphine Drip and the ER for New Year's

Lest you jump to any conclusions -- no, I didn't drink myself into oblivion to ring in New Year's.  At least I would have had fun that way ... j/k.

It all started innocently enough.  We made easy plans for New Year's.  After all of our family events at Christmas, we never feel like doing anything big the following weekend (and our wallets thank us for that).  So we made a date with another couple for fondue, wine, and games.

Should have been a great time, except for getting the chills at 9pm.  Decided to leave the foray and try to sleep it off, not knowing I was at the start of a fast moving bug.  Let's just 12 hours later of little sleep, waking up with either chills or being too hot, 100+ degree fever, nausea, feeling like I had been run over by train with the worst joint and stomach pain of my life, and several offerings to the porcelin god, I was in poor shape.

When I got to the point where I couldn't keep down water, I knew it was time to go to the ER.  I was admitted swiftly, expertly hooked up a saline drip, had a swab shoved up my nose to test for flu, and got some morphine to help with the pain.

I've never had morphine before.  I'm pretty sure it was just memory association, but I kept thinking of those singing flowers from Alice in Wonderland.

Turns out I had the stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis.    

Oddly enough, I had a good friend and fellow blogger catch this same crude over Christmas.  While I certainly don't wish this on anyone, I'm so glad she posted about it because I recognized the symptoms.

For the record, most people don't have to go to the hospital for this stuff.  It's only when you can't get in any water or you've started hemorrhaging that you need to turn yourself over to medical professionals. 

After being patched up at the ER and aided with some anti-nausea pills and a good night of sleep, I'm doing much better today.  I still feel like I've been run over by a bus and I've got a bit of a fever yet, but I feel alert and relaxed.  I'm sticking with simple food too - jello, crackers, ginger ale.  Maybe I'll work myself up to pudding and broth later today, oh boy!

It's a little dicey how you can prevent getting the stomach flu, but good hand washing and general hygiene seems to do the trick.  We had Mike sleep on the couch last night since I was still burning a fever.  I'm not surprised he didn't pick anything up - he's been inoculated against everything - but it never hurts to be prudent. 

At any rate, I hope your New Year's was less dramatic than mine!  XOXOXXO

What did you do to ring in 2012?