Well, that was unexpected...

Last Sunday I was scurrying around the house getting ready for my latest adventure.  I was packing to go to a 4 day class that was being held in Osseo.  This was looking to be a good class, maximum bang for the proverbial buck and all.  I had been pretty busy in the weeks leading up to this, so I downloaded a bunch of pictures and prenamed a couple blog posts and was planning to do some blogging.  AND some shopping, hiking, photography, meditating, going to class, going out to eat, and generally enjoying myself for a few days.  YES, I had a lot that I was going to do (and a few things were accomplished) and so I was set until of course MY BIRTHDAY, which was Thursday.  WOO HOO!

Sunday, I set off right after dinner and left the poor old MA again (he is FINE, don't worry.  Frig is always stocked with his special brand of yummies) and off I drove to Osseo.  I hadn't driven quite that route before and it was enjoyable.  That is really different land than we have up here, we are hilly but not like that area is.  It's interesting to see.  Arrived, no problem, in less time than I thought.  Unpacked, and set to accomplishing a couple things that I was going to do, but no hurry, you know?  Note to self: do the things you want to MOST FIRST!!!!

Monday was not an issue, either.  I had a really good time at class, it was very good and there was a GREAT group of people.  Teachers tend to be very relaxed during the summer.  Anyway, got to go to the Norske Nook for lunch and brought some pie back for later!!!  YUUUUUMMMMM- Peaches and cream or some such thing like that.  Monday night I attempted to find a place to hike, which was not going to happen in Osseo and took a couple pictures and then went up to Eau Claire and wandered through Menards for a few minutes and then went to Target.  YAY.  That was delightful.  It had been several weeks since I was in a shopping area.  My plan for the week was to SHOP in Eau Claire on Tuesday and find some GOOD hiking/photo ops on Wednesday. So life was good and I went back to the Super 8 (which would get a good solid 2.5 out of 5 stars from me- room was fine, but lukewarm coffee Monday morning, rippled carpets, not the best of beds....  SUPER nice people tho)  and hung out until bed.  When I got up from my WWF marathon and brushed my teeth, I was overcome with some severe shivers.  Hmmmm, that's weird.  I didn't feel anything but cold, so off I went to bed.

Fast forward to 2:30 Tuesday am and I woke up to a viciously hot back and abdomen.   Like, holy crap, the sheets are steaming, I had to get up and let the bed cool off hot.  Hotter than any hotflash thought about being.  I stumbled over to the sink and got a drink of water and sort of checked myself over.  I was not feeling sick, but what the HECK was that??? For a few moments I was set to blame the second half of the pie piece that I had scarfed right before bed, but nah.  Meh, I'm fine and off to sleep I went.  Then next day, the now hot but pathetic coffee didn't taste all that good, but I thought it was because of the coffee.  A SAD aside, that is beside the point in retrospect, I had taken a mini french press along with my GOOD coffee and had forgotten one of the important parts of it.....  ARGH.  And, I haven't had coffee since.  SO SAD   Anywho, I was ok, maybe a little tired, but off I was in class.  I had another good session in the morning but I was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate, getting achy and headachy and when we got to the afternoon session, I was having a hard time staying awake. And it wasn't the teachers who presented OR the subject matter, let me tell you.  I could tell by lunch time that power shopping in Eau Claire was NOT going to happen (sob), so I barely held on until 5:00 and I got back to the room and laid down and fell asleep.  AT 5 PM!! I do not nap!  I had eaten lunch, an omelet, and was sort of ok with food, but wow I lost my appetite, my energy, my will to shop.....  and I woke up about 8 pm.  I am so glad I had that bottle of Ibuprofen in my purse, because that was ugly.  I had the whole cold and hot at the same time thing and body aches were beginning and somewhere deeeeep inside I said- hey, remember that tick that you found on you a week or two ago?  I think that might be a problem.  DAMN IT 

Wednesday morning found me still laying around at 7 am and I forced myself up to get some cereal and milk just because I knew that I needed something.  And no coffee.  In class, I ate none of the lovely snacks that were provided, I was sooo achy and sick, but I stuck it out through lunch.  Our two teachers, Dan and Tom, had been informed of my suspicion right after lunch and they were so good.  I went back and sat for an hour, but then I just had to go lay down.  I slept for 2 hours and went back for about a half hour which was perfect because we discussed our final projects.  One of the teachers came up to me when we were supposed to go start on the projects and told me (nicely) to leave.  Lol.  I went back to the room for a while and called the MA.  Guys, I was so sick it was crazy.  So he and I talked (well I cried and complained and whined and he talked) and I decided to stay there for the night and then if I could, I'd drive home.  I had been feeling better in the mornings, and thought I could.  Otherwise he was coming with a posse to drive me and my car home.  I sort of got up once in a while and packed a few things up as I went.  And laid down and felt like crap and had rogue moving joint aches.  DO YOU KNOW how much it hurts when your toe joints hurt???  and my stupid neck still hurts how many days later.

Can we talk a moment about my dear friend Jane, who is the most giving, caring wonderful person ever to share a class with???  I am so grateful that someone like Jane was there, because I am not sure what I would have done without her.  She checked on me and bought me a cheese sandwich because it was LITERALLY the only thing I could imagine eating.  And she is bringing me stuff to finish the class in a couple days and wow.  A guardian "Jane-gel"- say it out loud, it's pretty catchy!!  :)

Thursday, which I am going to say was NOT the best birthday ever, I got up after a rough night of sleep.  It was to the point that laying so much was hurting, but being up was worse.  I did work at keeping my pain reliever intake to every 4 hours, so by the end of that time, I needed it.  I waited to leave until the teachers got there and told them my plan.  They had Jane text me through the morning to make sure that I got home and then to the doctor!!  They were great and I will get things to finish up the class.  So I drove home, which was fine but I was uncomfortable- to say the least.  I did NOT want to get out of bed - which is where I went directly- in time to go to the clinic, which I had made an appt. on the way home.  But I did, and I do not know yet which of the tick borne diseases I have, but its one of those!  And of course I had to wait a bit while the doctor was doing a procedure, and then a while for the lab tech and then not too long for the drugs.  I say of course because when I am feeling less like dying I have about a 2 minute wait anywhere lately.  Thursday was not the bestest of days, I felt WAY worse that afternoon and evening, but I got in the doxycycline and I did feel some better in the morning.  And I got to FaceTime my Ella Friday night!

I do have to say that I understand that I do NOT have it as bad as some people do, as some undiagnosed folks have HORRIBLE things happen. I do understand that I am lucky to have gotten home safely and to have had someone here to do things for me, lol.  I get that!  BUT STILL!!!!!  NO FAIR!

On the good side, because we all know that I am bringing it, I have an awesome friend who checked on me a lot during those few days before anyone much knew about it. THANK you so much Cheri!!!  xoxo  AND the amazing FaceBook and texting and messaging and emailed birthday greetings were SO touching.  XOXO  I was greeted at my door with a beautiful bouquet from one of the boys and I HAVE TO SAY, the elusive Mike was the FIRST one to text me that morning.  Before anyone else did.  I think.  PLUS, yesterday when I ordinarily would have been running around like a maniac, I was forced to sit in my beautiful yellow chair and listened to the birds, saw a family of hummingbirds running around, and watched the bees in my flowers.  It was a gorgeous day and I sat outside for a long time.  And so, that was an unexpected positive!  And the MA has fed the horse without complaining now for almost a week!!

I have to say briefly that getting better from this has not been a direct upward process.  This is holding on and even going to the grocery store today was exhausting and the sun made my eyes hurt.  After like a minute of driving.  I had to lie down for an HOUR after getting home.  I guess the gym won't be on the schedule tomorrow.

I guess we should always be counting our blessings in some way, as you just never know what is going to happen.  And while sometimes that can be pretty miserable, sometimes it will give you some little bit of joy.