It's 2014 and I've spent most of it in bed, with the flu. Flat on my back, zapped of all energy, wondering if I would ever feel normal again.It began 2 weeks ago on a Friday morning when my sister, Gina, her daughter and husband and I took off for a trip to Disneyland where they were going to participate in the Tinkerbelle 5K run. I felt a little off on the way down to LA, but shrugged it off as nothing more than a cold. We arrived at the Happiest Place on Earth and I bought my 2 day hopper pass. I made it thru 4 rides, before I excused myself back to the hotel.....where I remained until Sunday. I estimated that those four rides cost me $40.00 a piece.
Back in the hotel room, I am now on a roll away cot as my sis doesn't want my germs in her bed. It's 80 degrees outside and I have the chills so bad, my teeth are chattering. I have a fever of heaven knows what and I have already taken 4 baths that afternoon to get warm. My throat feels like I am swallowing glass. Night falls and I have watched my sis try on a dozen outfits for the race tomorrow, including tu-tus, tiaras and fairy wings. This fashion show and its dialogue went on for nearly an hour until I requested additional blankets for my cocoon and drugged myself with Nyquil to sleep.
Five AM came really fast when the runners woke up and put themselves together for the race....I listened to swishing sweatpants and clanking curling irons, who curls their hair to run??? They all left for several hours and I listened to the LA freeway outside my window.I continued to decline that day but was determined to go to Disneyland. So about 2 PM, I crawled across the street, walked thru the gates, hopped on the train at Main Street and circled Disneyland. I was hoping the fresh air would help. NOT. It took all the strength I had just to crawl back across the street and slither back into my cot hoping to conserve some energy for dinner.
To celebrate Gina's Birthday and the 5k Run, we had reservations at the Blue Bayou, the restaurant at the Pirates of the Caribbean. I drugged myself with Dayquil and we went to dinner. Not long after being seated, I asked my nephew in law, Aaron, am I hallucinating or is that Kevin Costner seated right next to us. Mind you, I was on drugs after all. Aaron who played baseball at Chico State, was grinning from ear to ear. "Field of Dreams", he said quietly...while in awe of sitting in Mr. Costner's presence. We made eye contact when I left and I slinked back to my hotel and slept on my cot which really felt like a hospital gurney at this point.
It was now Sunday morning, I had a cough that sounded like I had smoked for 40 years. I thought about asking Gina if we could tie my gurney to the back of her car and tow me horizontally for the 2 and half hour car ride home. We stopped at the beach in Santa Barbara....Gina wanted to get in her beach walk, so she and the kids all walked off and I layed slumped on a sand dune in front of the Santa Barbara Yacht Club looking like a transient. At this point, I just didn't care...bring on a Sunami wave and wash me away...I belonged in the ocean. I was barking like a seal now. Finally, late Sunday afternoon, we were home. Home in my OWN bed. Little did I know I'd be there for about 10 more days...oh, and did I mention the gift of bed bugs from the blankets in the hotel? The three blankets I wrapped myself in that Housekeeping had brought to the room? I was covered in bites and they itched like the dickens. So while dealing with the respiratory illness, the smokers cough, the bug bites, the muscles separating from my rib cage from hacking, I am then blessed with the stomach flu. Are you kidding me? Who gets the stomach flu on top of the Flu Flu???? Oh, and then to round out the adventure, the water heater blew up and I had no hot water for 48 hours. But I am happy to report, on day 16, I am now among the living again. Hoorah! Life is good, so good again!!
