Coming Back

90%

I do not know what kind of bug I picked up in Curaçao, but whatever it was it hit me HARD!  I am just now feeling about 90% like my normal self.  

It started with a random fever just after noon on Friday, November 1st.  My bones ached as only a fever can make them do.  I popped Advil, not thinking much of it, figuring I had overexerted myself climbing Christoffelberg early that morning (only 1,220 feet, but in 75-80 degrees and 80-90% humidity that can be pretty strenuous).  Around 5:00 I took some more Advil.  

Corky and I were supposed to go to a Halloween beach party with my friend C that night. I didn't want to take any more Advil because I wanted to hold out for Advil PM at night (to ensure that I conked out.)  C came to pick us up, along with 2 of her friends, at around 10:30.  I wasn't feeling that great but I thought I'd be able to ignore it and have a good time.  I was SO wrong.  After just 45 minutes at the party I was shaking, dizzy, freezing cold and aching so much I had tears in my eyes.  I couldn't stand up.  I couldn't see straight.  To my horror, no taxis or busses came to this location.  I was stuck!

There were some benches near a bar set up, so I abruptly told C, "I'm going to sit down."  Corky followed me.  I sat there, huddled on that bench with my denim vest over my bent knees like a very unhelpful blanket, for the next hour and twenty minutes.  At one point, C's husband brought me a bottle of water that had been sitting in a bucket of ice.  (Mind you it was about 80 degrees still.)  I was so weak I could barely open the bottle.  Once it was open, a drip of icy water fell onto my thigh.  My skin was so sensitive from my fever that I screamed.  From past knowledge I would guess my temperature topped 102F (38.8C) that night.  

Finally, after what seemed like forever, C's husband took pity on me and took Corky and me back to our hotel.  I popped Advil PM, gingerly peeled all my clothes off, put on the warmest clothes I had brought with me and crawled into bed, shaking violently.  I don't remember anything until waking up in the middle of the night with a pounding headache.  But it hadn't been long enough to take any more Advil, so I drank some water and passed out again.

Fevers persisted all the way up until yesterday.  Sunday we came home.  That almost 6 hour flight from DC to Portland was horrendous!  737s are not very comfortable to travel in for more than a few hours.  Sunday night the virus went from my head to my stomach.  I won't tell you any more.  It was gross.

Anyway.  I'm starting to feel like I'm coming back to life.  I had to go back to teaching Zumba Monday night.  OMG!!! I don't even remember teaching that class.  I literally have no memory of it.  Wednesday's classes were a little better but I was just so TIRED.  I actually had to stop and rest a few times.  It was so embarrassing.  

The ONLY plus side to being sick like that was that I think I lost a little weight.  Hmm.. but now I can eat again.  So.  Whatever. :)  

Curaçao blog post coming soon!