Sick Days & Moving Adventures

Phew, what a weekend!

This past week just may have been one of the most stressful in my life, but also one filled with blessings. Throughout last week, I kept coming down with a Fever/headaches/sore throat-etc. Took a few days off of work, but just kept plugging along with the packing. Gave a teary-eyed announcement to the kids at work that it was my last day, only 10 minutes before they went home for the weekend. I didn't get to say good-bye individually to all that I wanted to, which kinda bummed me. They are fantastic kids though. Whoever gets them next...well, let's just say I'm jealous!! Thought I was doing pretty good till I took my Dad out for his Birthday Dinner on Friday night: I was sitting at dinner with my Dad and couldn't even get interested in my big bowl of spaghetti. I hadn't really eaten much in 3 days, and still....just wasn't interested in food. I was also FREEZING cold (in 115 Phoenix heat), so I told him I was going to head out to the car to get my jacket, and insisted he not get up, just enjoy his dinner, I'd be right back. Well, as soon as I was headed out to the car, my feet felt like lead, and all I wanted to do was climb into that car and sleep. I had to convince myself it would be rude to leave my dad in the restaurant by himself! So I came back and went into the bathroom. I sat down in a stall....and completely fell asleep. 15 minutes later I woke up, shook myself awake a bit, and came back out to a pretty worried father and apologized. I could barely keep my head up at dinner, wouldn't touch my food...and we eventually decided to forgo the rest of the evenings plans so that I could go home and go to bed. I put on sweats, and still with the chills, was asleep by 8:15, burning up with the hottest fever of my life, completely exhausted and feeling bad that I couldn't treat my Dad to more of a birthday evening, AND that I was missing Rob's birthday party as well.

Saturday I had the whole day to myself for packing, and did so. But...again, by 6:30, I just began to feel nautious and wiped out. I was forcing myself to eat throughout the day, but still not really even hungry. My 6:30 "nap" turned into a 13 hour nap.

Sunday, I got up early and went and picked up my Budget rental moving truck. Rob got back from Mexico and we got to visit both our Phoenix single's wards and say bye to people & introduce each other to friends and leaders. It was pretty fun, and there were some great talks! It was also officially Rob's birthday, so we celebrated with a frozen pizza, a cheesecake bday cake, and some presents.

Isn't he cute? I just love that picture :) I'm happy I got to celebrate his birthday with him, he is a fantastic guy that has enriched my life so much. It was a quick celebration, but fun :)

After that, we got to packing and some friends came over to help. As soon as I got up and started moving around again to pack....I just started feeling sick again. I was thinking, "sheesh Beth, you only get sick when you start to pack? C'mon!", so kept going and trying to get this stuff together. I had started to notice that day as well that both my skin and eyes were telling yellow, and that I kept getting bloody noses. I would also start feeling nautious when I smelled greasy foods (particularly fried chicked at the grocery store had about done me in the day before!) Part way through the packing, I walked into the kitchen, took one look at our leftover birthday pizza, spun around in disgust and for the first time in my life, began vomiting into the kitchen trashcan. I just stood there shocked! What on earth??? I took off for the bathroom, and felt it rising again, and to my horror, saw this stuff go flying through the air before I could even reach the toliet. Next thing I knew, there was Rob, patting my back, and lightly joking as I sat there crying and puking into the toliet. Definitely an embarressing experience, and one I will never forget. Rob became a superhero to me in the minute though, and I am grateful for his help and support in getting me through the rest of the evening.

Long story short, I ended up in the ER that night, hooked up to an IV and getting bloodwork done. Turns out I have a severe case of Mono that has begun to affect my Liver (the yellow skin, eyes, lack of appetite, inability to digest protein & grease, and bloody noses are all signs of liver problems...who knew!). I've been ordered on bed rest for this whole week, with a possible 3 more weeks of recovery. They were horrified to find out we had a moving van packed and were about to head across the country, and when I told them I was starting a new job that week, they said, "Mmm....bad timing. Too bad, you are not to enter schools."

As much as I was not planning for this, I am extremely grateful it was not my gal-bladder (which would require surgery), and am glad I don't have some weird Hepitits A thingy (the other yellow eyeball disease). I'm grateful my "treatment" is to sit around and read books and blog!! I really wish this had not fallen on the week I started a new job or the week I was moving. However, have been completely taken by surprise at the friends who have stepped in and taken care of everything I could not this weekend, without complaint or request of any return favor. A big thank you to my parents who have been a source of comfort, support, and information from afar. To Angela Cronnin for listening to some TMI abt me and offering her medical advice, to the Wolfgraham boys for moving my furniture like it was a bunch of toothpicks, and to Mandy Nielsen for giving of her time to move boxes, to Lynn for taking care of tying up loose strings with the apartment, and of course to Rob, who is quite possibly the most patient man on earth!

We spent 15+ hours driving up to Utah in the Budget truck (with the car attached, we couldn't go more than 55mph, and only about 35 mph up the hills!). Rob wouldn't let me drive, which was kind of him, and I'm impressed he took on such a big project. We had some good quality time together and enjoyed the adventure for what it was worth :) He finished all the packing, and has been taking care of things up here in Utah as well. Seroiusly, the man has superman genes in him, I'm amazed he's pulling this off! :)

This weekend was definitely an adventure I will never forget. Thank you to everyone!! Our driving pictures from yesterday: