The last 9 days around here have been days of super fun, and super ick. Matt’s folks and Uncle were in town so mom and I got to do some Uptown lunch and a Patina run (IYKYK.) We dined by the lights of a North America Curling center which was pretty fun.

The crew came out to the house the next day and after some deck bevvies, we treated them to the fine dining of our local Elks Club that Matt and I have recently joined. There was lots of love and lots of laughter, and a Jules who was barely hanging on. On Wednesday, I didn’t feel great. Not sick, but not not sick. On Thursday morning, my stomach was doing somersaults. Again, not really sick but not healthy. By Friday evening, I was a hot mess. We had one more something fun to attend the next day to celebrate our Grandson’s birthday in the cities and then I came home and went right to bed. Where I stayed. For days.

Until Monday afternoon where I couldn’t take the pain and the constant, erm, bowel irregularity (I ai’d how to describe that delicately) after four days. Anyways, it was bad. I was able to stomach a piece of toast per day now for 5 days. Working with my bonus daughter who is a nurse, she said I needed to go in. Urgent Care first and if they decided I needed the ER, they would send me over. I did and they did. One of the questions the nurse had was about food poisoning. I didn’t think this was it. I’ve had food poisoning. Bad food poisoning that was no bueno and this wasn’t it, especially the timing of it. So tests, an IV that helped a lot, some pain meds that helped more, but briefly. A tummy CT scan with some concerning results. Concerning enough that the doctor wanted to transfer me down to the cities until I could be seen and get some more tests. Now, the biggest thing I know about hospitals is that they are a very good place to go if you are very sick but the risk to reward starts to blur when you’re “pretty sick.” I was pretty sick and I knew my strong immune system was beat down enough that whatever additional germs I was about to walk into at a major hospital were not the best thing for me. The next offer was staying in the local hospital. Nahhhh, it’s less than a mile from my home. Might as well go back home with some meds and a plan for future action.

I won’t know if that was the best decision. It was certainly not the easiest. It would have been much easier to take a ride into the cities with lights on the vehicle; been taken care of; and had the tests and doctors face to face. Instead, I came home with promises to follow up in the morning with scheduling appointments and tests and more pain. EZPZ. Except it’s not. Even with doctor referrals in the system, it’s taken me no less than 7 phone calls and I believe more to get the right departments. I’ve been hung up on twice, forwarded to nothing at least twice. Given appointments by specialist scheduling only to be told that “I” scheduled with the wrong person and had the appt. canceled.

Thankfully, a final test out of the hospital showed that I actually did have a bacterial infection, likely from bad chicken, and antibiotics were prescribed. I’m on day 3, and I hope, turning things around. At least, I’m finally confident to walk more than 100′ away from my bathroom. And I’m hungry. Like, super hungry. Like, I want all the food. But it’s scary, cuz, it’s been a lot. I do not want to pay for eating food. But I daydreamed about food and if I could eat without thought, what would it be?

My top food that would fill my sad tummy and be followed directly with a long nap is Loco Moco. It has everything good in life. Also,

biscuits and gravy. Basically anything with some carbs, gravy, meat, and eggs. On THAT note…

As it is, I don’t get a comfort meal yet, But I got some soup from our local diner and it wasn’t toast, so it was the best thing I’ve ate in a week. I’ll take it.

Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer?… Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don’t catch steak hanging around when you’re poor and sick, do you?” — Judith Martin (Miss Manners).