4th of July

A little late but better late than never right!

So I was looking forward to this day all week. a) because my mom was here and I'd finally get a whole day off to spend with her and LC b) I needed a day off after working 2 days of 8:30-6:30 with a 30 minute lunch and c) heeey it's a holiday! :)

Well, my body had other plans.

At 5am Wednesday morning I wake up hot but with chills. I finally convince myself to get up to go to the bathroom, hoping that I won't turn into an iceberg in the process. I walk back to the bed and pass out, however fortunately I had enough sense to get on the floor and curl up near the pillows before passing out. J wakes up and says 'why are you on the floor?' I said 'I passsed out'. I get back in bed and try to go back to sleep. Yeah right.

Fortunately LC has decided to sleep in and is not up wanting to nurse just yet because holy heck, did someone punch me in the left boob while I was sleeping because it feels very bruised and tender. I look and yeah, nothing, looks the same. Okay then.

I continue to feel like crap and almost pass out another time. I stay in bed sleeping and trying to figure out what the heck is wrong with me.

I drink water

I drink rehydration formula of crystal lite.

I still feel like crap.

I call the on call OB at the hospital because I feel like crap and I think the only person who can help me with this whole hurting boob thing is an OB and also apparently my PCP doesn't have an on call person (hm maybe I should get a new PCP b/c that is weird).

She finally calls back.

In the meantime I've texted with my super knowledgable librarian friends and we have come to the conclusion that while I barely have any milk, it may be the dreaded: MASTITIS.

I"m all 'but you only get that when you are first adjusting and your milk is coming in and you are making a gazillion gallons a minute enough to feed a small army of babies and the one that you have sleeps through feedings or latches improperly and doesn't drain the boob right.

Wrong.

Apparently when the milk sits in there or (in my case) dehydration, hello mastitis.

After talking to the on call OB, who says 'if you don't have a fever, or red streaks, we can't prescribe an antibiotic, just drink a lot of water and call us if it gets worse.'

Right.

Well you know me, I do not stop at something like that.

I know my body and I KNEW that something was wrong. You don't breastfeed for over a year and all of the sudden wake up feeling like someone punched you in the boob.

So I tell J that we are going to the walk - in clinic.

Surprise! The walk-in clinic is closed because - hey, it's the 4th of July (I have beef with this but it's just as well b/c they couldn't have done what needed to be done anyway).

So, we end up at the local med center that has an ER.

I'm all 'o wow this is going to be like grey's anatomy, people running around with gurneys and doctors barking out orders and people all crazy injured and stuff and we'll be there for hours and oh my gosh i hope i don't have to hear or see throw up because i SO DO NOT DO throw up! (lord help me when LC gets his first stomach bug).

Yeah, that wasn't the case. It was quiet aside from some kids playing with their smartphones in the waiting room.

We got there, registered, waited, and then were called back by the triage nurse. Who took my vitals and did an EKG b/c I fainted (sidenote: I've got news for them, I have been fainting since I was a teenager, I have a sensitive system, I've had EKGs and worn a heart monitor overnight all showing nothing). I tell him about the sore boob - he says "well, you're breastfeeding ain't ya" like duh of course it's gonna hurt. I had to bite my tongue to not say back, yes, for over a year, and i know that you don't wake up one day feeling like this so shut it! Anyway, everything was normal (naturally). And we went back out to wait to be called to go back to get checked out by the dr.

We get called back, I go in, the dr comes in, takes one look at my boob which has turned red right where it hurt all day (which is new), and says 'mastitis' and I think 'OH MY GOSH FOR REAL! FOR REAL!?! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME I HAVE NURSED MY BABY THROUGH 6 WEEKS OF A BAD LATCH, PUMPED 3 TIMES A DAY FOR 8 MONTHS WEANED DOWN TO NURSING 1 TIME A DAY WHICH I'VE BEEN DOING FOR LIKE A MONTH AND I HAVE MASTITIS - ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!"

no, he was not, and in my heart of hearts, i knew that's what it was.

I was also severely dehydrated so they pumped me full of 2 bags of fluid, gave me my first round of antibiotics via IV (and anti-nausea medicine in case it made me nauscious because as you know I made it VERY clear that i do NOT do throw up and he gave me that as well as a prescription for zofran and antibiotics just in case they maybe make me nauseous.

So 4 hours later J and I head out, (i'm feeling better by then and have peed a clear stream of urine proving my rehydration) and pick up my prescriptions and head home.

Finally we can enjoy our holiday!

We go out to a new burger joint with Mom and LC then we come home and wind down, and Mom and I read on the balcony and watch fireworks from the front lawn of our apartment complex.

So hey, it may not have started off well - but it sure did end well :)

I am thankful that this happened when it did - as crummy as it was - my Mom was here and that is the best gift ever for a sick daughter, on a hot day off, in the middle of the summer, and a little boy, wanting nothing but fun fun fun :) And she made it happen :)

I love you Mom! for all that you do every day for me and for LC :)