Camping 2.0 Epic Fail

Warning, this is kind of a dismal and long post, but it has been our life the last 48 hours and I just feel weird not sharing it.

Friday Afternoon-I write this still feeling loopy from the pain meds administered overnight at St. Mary's Hospital ER in Rochester, MN. Make sure you take that into consideration while reading.

Yup, I think I mentioned something about us Vosbergs liking some adventure? Well let me tell you, there is nothing more adventurous than spending 2am-7am in an ER with a 1 year old and 4 year old.

Heath and I kinda chuckled a few minutes ago at what has happened since 1:30 yesterday afternoon. I had a sore throat, but was armed with throat lozenges, air borne and wanted to just push through as we were looking SO forward to this time together as a family. We headed south, the chills and aches started in Rochester. I don't know why when Heath offered to turn around there I didn't take him up on it. Why do I have this innate super mom, we are GOING to do this, at any cost mentality? So we drove down to Forestville/Mystery Caves. On the way there we decided we would definitely not be able to put up camp with how I was feeling, but let's just go check it out and stretch the boy's legs being we are so close (this is the second F/MC trip cancelled, the first was when we went to Sakatah and I came home with a burnt leg). Let me tell you, I can't wait to camp there some day. Seriously. BEAU-TIFUL! This part of our state always blows my mind. Minnesota. I sure love you. So I had the brilliant idea of finding a inexpensive 1 night deal and stay somewhere warm being we were already down there. For the record...dumb idea. But we did get to drive around Lanesboro (have always heard of it, so nice there) and had a fantastic interaction with Bonita at Cedar Valley...she said things like...give me a yingle back, or those under 1 pay with their love, or settle your feathers...seriously, who says this stuff? I instantly loved her. She gave us a great 1 night deal. Our thought was I could get some good rest (ha!) and the guys could still have some fun at the dam and caves on Friday.

Well, I fell asleep in the chair around 6:30, but woke up several times until 1:00 with a pain like no other (swallowing a chard of glass over and over). I started to realize how dehydrated I had become as I stopped drinking so I could not swallow. I was at a loss, didn't REALLY want to go to the ER, but didn't know how to make it until 8:00 a.m. when the clinic opened. I strongly dislike ERs for the record. Heath made the call and said he would get the car, boys and me packed up and we would go. We prayed over and over on the way that the staff would be swift and not make me feel stupid because of why were going in.

The boys slept on our 1 hour drive to Rochester. Brevin woke at one point to show us a diamond in the sky and share he was extremely sad about leaving the cabin and kept saying perhaps we can go to the cave, dam, etc. tomorrow. Rip my heart right out. They dropped me off to go in. I will say I wasn't overly impressed with the admitting process at all. It was very callous for 2am when I am clearly not feeling well. But once I got to my room the nurses, lab guy, iv team (yes, the nurse couldn't iv my puny veins, not a surprise being poked multiple times) and 2 doctors. While I don't understand why things have to take so much longer at the ER, I tried hard to keep my patience, stand up for myself and be nice. The boys woke up and Heath brought them in. They made friends with the staff as they were SUPER well behaved for their daddy. The assessment was that I had the beginnings of an abscess on the left side of my throat. They determined I needed fluids, antibiotics and pain meds. So that took another couple of hours. In the meantime, my guys got that weird middle of the night hunger thing going on. So where did they go? Perkins of course! I am not sure this is what Heath was thinking adventure would mean for our weekend, but they shared french toast and got out of the little ER room for awhile. The staff was blown away when Brevin delivered them muffins for being so kind. :)

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Saturday Morning-Ok, so I am still writing while loopy on pain meds. I have a new outlook this morning. I hate ERs, a lot. I have been to the ER at least 15+ times in my adult life and all but one time has stunk, big time. The culture of nurses and doctors has always been strange. It seems to always take FOR-EVER. The doctors diagnosis always seem to be the complete opposite of what is found at the clinic the next day. I know I should be thankful we have round the clock medical care and it is my own fault for agreeing with Heath to go despite me resisting it every step of the way.

So I went to my clinic today. I had the nurse that paints on her eyebrows, grunts at everything I say and insists I hold my own thermometer. They tested me for strep (which the TWO doctors at the ER said with no doubts that it was NOT strep due to it being on one side). It came back positive. Here are my tweets from yesterday afternoon:

Any other mom friends ever see mom of nb at Dr office, see desperation in eyes, start crying and want to run up and say it does get better?about 20 hours ago via twidroidJust got my labs back via email. The doc will be surprised by my knowledge I am certain. #ihatewaitingknowingtheyknowabout 19 hours ago via twidroid1st positive strep ever. My bro was the strep kid in our fam. Interesting that it coincides w my first trip to wal-mart in years.about 19 hours ago via twidroid
The doctor said that this was one of the worst adult cases of strep he has ever seen. I got my prescriptions and headed to Target. Thankfully Midge was working, she is my favorite Target pharmacy worker. I was feeling awful, she could see it and yet she still made me smile. I am pretty sure if there is an email chain People of Target similar to People of Wal-Mart I will make it because of how terrible I looked. The doc gave me some good pain meds so I could eat, drink and sleep and antibiotics to kick this.
I think that my biggest frustration in all of this is how we had a plan to have good quality family time and this weekend has been anything but that. Our boys were full of crazy energy all day despite being up ALL NIGHT LONG???? Heath was weary last night. Thankfully after putting out an SOS to Heath's parents, they took them today so Heath could have a break for a few hours. It is hard to be a sick mommy, isn't it? Meh.
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I consider myself to be a pretty darned healthy person. I get the yearly flu and cold like most, but seriously, this year has been STRANGE! Let's review:

-Food poisoning on my first night in Louisiana after eating at a gas station Subway. The culprit? My staple sandwich for 15+ years. Tuna. I know, I know, who orders that at a gas station Subway? I do, it was automatic, didn't even think about it. Well now I do. I think I will never eat Subway again.

-A strange growth on my eyebrow/eye that turned out to be a staph infection. It was fun to tell people I got in a mommy fight at the Children's Museum.

-The antibiotics from above staph infection messed me up for 3 months in my digestive track.

-I then had to have an emergency scope procedure because I swallowed a pill and it got stuck.

-Strep isn't so weird, just the fact that it involved being away from home and messing with Camping 2.0.

Heath says that is what happens when you turn 30. You fall apart. Seriously? What the heck is going on this year? Anyways, resting up so I can feel better and get back to life. If you read all the way to the end, I think I owe you a coffee or something. Seriously.