Been Whupped by a Wupenstick

Sick in Hotel Hell

Found a great site, http://www.wupensticks.com/, that sells walking sticks and "bonkers". No offense to their products (I really want one of those walking sticks) but I think I was beat up with a big bonker wupenstick this week, and I've not recovered yet.

At about 3 a.m. Monday I gave up trying to not throw up and headed to the ER, hoping I had a bug or something they could medicate with antibiotics. I was told that nope, it was just the chronic pancreatitis, nothing they could do, but they gave me a bit shot of zofran and some torradol for the pain. Unfortunately I forgot that torradol was on my bad pancreas list. I go from the ER to work, with no sleep at all, because I know what was coming this week. I have been with this company for seven years and know the drill for new client training by now.

I print out everything I need for this week, prep some files in case I need more, go home sleep 30 minutes, go see my PCP at about three in the afternoon, and get a script for zofran and more prilosec (I was thinking maybe I was having stomach irritation) and percocet, which I guess is OXYcodone as opposed to HYDROcodone, and less likely to give an allergic reaction to opiate sensitive individuals. I don't know, as I haven't taken any yet (this is Thursday) because I am afraid to. I think the suffering will have to get much greater before I try to take this.

I drive to the client's Monday night. It now has been a couple of days without any real rest, so I have trouble staying awake to drive. I drive 15 minutes, pull off the side of the road, sleep fifteen minutes, drive another 15 minutes....well, you get the idea. It takes over three hours to drive a normal 90 minute distance. I get to the hotel, but of course I am now wide awake. Sigh...

I get to the client's early on Tuesday because of a special request I am squeezing in with my regular training classes. I feel nauseous even tho I took the zofran that morning. I get more nauseous towards noon. I eat a canned peach and applesauce for lunch, probably more than I should have eaten. I get sicker all afternoon. The clients had me double booked for training, and I am so grateful my bosses sent backup for me!

I get to the hotel on Tuesday at about 5:30 pm, and start vomiting by 6 pm. I continue throwing up every five to fifteen minutes until about 11 PM, and then about every half hour until morning. I drag myself around, making myself presentable, and head out early to the client again.

The Headache manifests itself as soon as I get to the clients. I start thinking about the prior evening and day, and realize that perhaps what I had been thinking was The Belly was really The Headache. Because the head pain did not become intense until Wednesday I had not recognized that the autonomic and other symptoms had become pretty bad. My left eye was swollen, my left eye was teary, and I think the pupil was not the same size as my right eye, I was extremely light sensitive, and odors were making the nausea much much worse. I crank up the volts in the stimulator but it was too late, The Headache had escaped its bounds and was hellbent on revenge.

I threw up every fifteen minutes for a couple of hours, then I threw up every five minutes for another couple of hours, and finally before noon I threw in the towel and went back to the hotel. Everytime I threw up The Headache got worse. I couldn't stop vomiting so called my PCP and started on his recommended regimen of alternating phenergan and benedryl every three hours. It took until around 10 pm but I finally put The Headache and The Belly to sleep.

I had to ward off the hotel staff because despite the "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door they desperately wanted to give me clean towels. I finally had to bluntly say, "I am sick, do not bother me. I do not need more towels." I tip housekeeping when I travel, and I think because they had already gathered the tip they were afraid I would be grumpy if they hadn't finished the room. I was just grumpy because they wouldn't leave me alone about the towels inbetween my vomiting bouts.

Today I gathered myself up and went back to the clients ready for round three. Ping! I was off and running, double booked yet again! Thank goodness again my backup was there. I just moved between training rooms, checking back and forth. I made it through the day without vomiting, but am not so sure what tonight will bring.

A long grumpy post, but really what I have accomplished is that I have worked more hours in the last two weeks straight than I have in a long long time, even with the time out for throwing up. I go to work tomorrow, hopefully, and again on Sunday to help look over converted data. The clients were so kind about my puking - thank heavens they have tons of bathrooms (however all were using this heavy vanilla musk scented room deodorant that made my nausea worse).

Hoping to get through next week, not looking forward to the puking marathon that will probably ensue. Sigh again....