a week from h-e-double hockey sticks

Holy smokes. While all of my recent posts have looked like everything's sweet and rosy around the Zeltins house - Easter egg hunts, vacation memories, blah blah blah, it's actually been THE. WORST. WEEK. EVER.

I rarely use this forum for a rant, but this week I earned it.

This week was seriously planned out as one of the busiest weeks on my schedule in a longggggg time. Typically days around here have been just like the next - going to work, taking Weredesh to school, mundane routine things. Well, this past week on my schedule I had 2 parties (one being a bachelorette party tonight), an overnight trip to Portland for an eye checkup, a large parent event at my school (with me in charge), state testing at our school, and a date tomorrow with our local Ethiopian playgroup. VERY atypical. And actually most of those things I was looking forward to and was ready to go full force into this week taking it all on like a champion!

That was until H1N1 knocked on my door last Thursday night. Yep. No kidding. H1N1. It came with a vengeance. And doesn't want to leave.

It started with a sore throat late Thursday and later that night I found myself fumbling around the house somewhere in the wee hours of the morning searching for the ibuprofen that could hopefully relieve me of the uncontrollable convulsing my body was going through due to the high fever that had overcome me. Fever, aches, chills, sweats, chattering teeth, the works. Ugh. My throat was so swollen and sore that I was starting to have anxiety attacks, thinking that it was going to close up at any moment if I didn't get at least 3 or 4 ibuprofen soon. After medicating, I fell back to sleep and I swear those next couple of days are nothing but a blur. I'm trying to remember what happened next, but can't - what I do remember is one energetic two yr. old running around the house screaming, climbing on me, wanting me to read books, screaming "MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY", wanting me to play, wanting me to pick her up, wanting me to feed her. Wanting wanting wanting. And as the head I could barely lift pounded away, all I could think to myself was "holy shit this sucks." I'm not sure anything puts you over the edge like a two yr. old when you're on your deathbed. Thankfully Cory helped a ton on Saturday and I was able to get some relief that day.

By Sunday I was feeling just a smidge better, and decided to take the overnight trip to Portland for Weredesh's eye appt., which actually was okay. It was nice to sit in the warm car with Weredesh contained in the back and take a peaceful drive for a few hours. By this time though, my sickness was starting to evolve into a sinus/ear/throat/coughing thing. Very fun! And coming home over the Santiam pass (at 4,817 ft.) I got a shooting pain that felt like someone had just stuck a knife down my ear canal, followed by pink fluid draining out, while at the same time trying to stay on the road with semi-trucks zooming past. Not fun.

As a side note, Weredesh's eye appt. went REALLY well, and they said she will most likely NOT have to wear glasses in the future. When she takes them off her eyes still tend to cross slightly when focusing close-up. We don't go back until October where they will then dilate her eyes to check her prescription and re-evaluate.

The rest of the week I put myself in survival mode. I couldn't hear a thing people were saying (still can't), and my sinuses are so blocked and sore that basically my head feels like it could explode at any moment. I had to pass on the anniversary party scheduled for Monday night, called in sick Tuesday and put Weredesh in school a full day so that I could sleep all day, and worked a full day on Wednesday so I could help with state testing and plan for my parent event. I barely got by last night, although the event was successful. Thankfully while I was in Portland I hopped up to Washington so that I could buy some pseudoephedrine over the counter (can't buy it in Oregon) to help with my sinuses. F'ing meth junkies.

Tonight I will make a brief appearance at the bachelorette party and hopefully take Weredesh to her Ethiopian playgroup tomorrow. Then I will climb into a cave for 3 days and forget about this god-awful week. ;)

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? What was supposed to be one fun week took the flipside, and one day I'll look back at this and laugh. Just putting it in words now makes me kinda giggle. For now, Weredesh is sleeping, so this overdone mama is going to go catch some shuteye.