Emergency rooms, IV's and Meningitis... Yucky!

Well, as many of you already know, I got super sick the day after I got back from spring break. Monday after I got back from Portland, which was so amazing by the way, I got sick. I woke up with a headache and a sore throat, but knew I needed to go back to work after a week off. Anyway, I made it through all of work and my classes and then I went home to sleep. Later that evening, kyle was gonna come say hey and abi needed to come by to pick something up. Well, when Abi came, she saw I was sleeping and figured out I wasn't feeling well. my roommate sara (who is a nursing major) took my temp and blood pressure and told abi she needed to take me to the hospital. We went to the emergency room and on our way, mom was on the phone asking all of the same questions. Since Cindy died, mom has been very paranoid about us getting meningitis, rightly so, but every time we get sick she asks, "can you touch your chin to your chest?", I always do it to humor her, only this time, she was right!

We made it to emergency, went in and checked in. usually at this hospital, you check in, wait for 3-4 hours and then get seen by a doctor for about 30 minutes, well, after I checked in, they took my temp and my blood pressure. They asked me what my blood pressure usually is and I said, "well, they always say its as good as it can get". after I said that she said, "ok, well, why don't you come to the back here and lay on this hospital bed". so right away, we were kinda worried:) They put me on an IV right away and drew a bunch of blood. I ended up staying there until 3am (6 hours total!) and getting 3 liters of fluids... I blew up like a balloon for like 4 days! but luckily, I have a pretty sweet sister and an amazing boyfriend who stayed by my side and held my hand the whole night.

The doctor that night said that I had Viral Meningitis and told me he was sorry, but the only thing that I could do was wait it out and sleep a lot. He told me my temperature was 102 and if it got any higher or if my headaches came back, that I needed to come back ASAP. so we went home and i slept, for a longggg time:)

Ok, this is already a long post, sorry, i'll cut the rest short... to sum it up, I did have meningitis, but the safe kind. I went back to the emergency room two more times that week and I was put on bed rest for one week, and two weeks off of work. This last monday was my first week back full-time at work and at school. Its taking me a while to catch up on everything, but I am very fortunate to be at a university that is understanding and to have bosses and teachers that really care. I am so thankful for all the prayers and sweet thoughts from everybody, God has cared for me and I feel much better, thank you! also, I am happy to report that I did not share this plague with anyone:) We only let a few people come and see me and Abi, Kyle, Kearby and Sara were the only ones that care for me on a regular basis. So now, we feel that we're in the clear, its been three weeks since I was in the hospital, so I think everyone is safe.

Well thats the gist of it... haha, the "gist", yeah, I know it was like 20 pages, sorry:) I will keep you updated now for the rest of my healthy semester. I will graduate in a month... I know, A MONTH, amazing, its about time:) and then I move into a cute new house and start working full-time while kyle finishes his undergrad. SO thanks for prayers, I still will appreciate them as i'm nearing the end of ACU:) ssee you guys around!