So.. It all started reasonably enough. Just perform a symbolic death ritual on 2 experience and practiced occultists. I performed my first set of third degree initiations on Saturday. This is one potent ritual.
It takes a lot out of you. Heather was already sick, so I knew I was opening myself up for a kick in the pants. Afterward, I feel asleep at the dinner table. I was told I managed to eat an ear of corn while unconscious. Personally, I remember eating the corn, so I must have been vaguely conscious.
But Sunday came and it hit me. I got the creeping crud that’s going around. And it made the circuit. Saturday it was a headache. Sunday it was the shivers and the temperature sensitivity. Monday my face as a clog of gook. I dropped a line to the office that I was in no shape to get work done and banged off another PTO.
And then.. Monday night it got bad.
By 11 pm it had begun to descend into my throat. It started with that really annoying, “Piece of popcorn caught” feeling. The where you feel if you can clear the throat just right, you’ll dislodge it. But no, this is authentic, gnostic, occultist phlegm. This stuff knows how to Banish by the ritual of the Star Lugie.
By midnight it was acquiring friends. Now we were up to it being an annoyance to swallow. At 1 am I came to bed. I say came to bed because, sleeping really wasn’t an option. The room was too warm and too cool all at the same time and the sheets were just uncomfortable.
By 2:30 we were having problems. The build up had gotten to the point where I was considering the speed of phlegm growth to the time that I’d stop being able to breathe. This was not good. 2:45 I am considering if maybe going to the local clinic/hospital might not be a bad idea. At 3am I am pacing wondering the best and most gentle manner to wake the shimmeringjemmy
The Sidekick has value! I typed out a message explaining the situation. The woman went from unconscious to door in about 45 seconds. I was quite, pleasant, and zen. I wasn’t talking much (yeah, yeah, I know… shaddup). I was breathing only very shallowly. And attempts to talk at this point or breathe normally caused me to cough a lot.
So we get to the hospital. Yay… married now, wife can sign papers. The explanation seemed to be sufficient to rush me to the head of the deserted waiting room. Into a bed and they had me put on… the hospital gown. (Ugh) And then told me they were going to start me on an IV to rehydrate me. Which was strange, because drinking liquids was pretty much all I could do. They also said I wasn’t absorbing enough oxygen so they gave me the little breathy tube. The one that you too can rent for an hour at an oxygen bar in the mall.
I’d like to say it right here and now. I don’t like needles. I realize human skin is easily pierced. I realize it is porous, by shoving metal into my arm with the intent of putting other liquids into my system really seems to defeat the purpose of having a mouth. So, on goes the rubber tourniquet. She taps the back of my hand. I look up and say, “I really would prefer the arm if you have to stick something in me” (She was trying to spare the hair on my arm)
Meanwhile forms… questions… etc. Are you allergic to drugs? No. Are you nauseous? No. tap tap tap on veins. Who is your insurance provider? Blah Blah Blah. Swab swab swab. Poke. Well, that went in better than I’d…. Oh no. Immediate cold sweats. There are two types of nausea, the one everyone gets that just means they are gonna whine for an hour or three and then… the real one. The real one is very brief. It’s like the entire body screams, “FIRE IN THE HOLE!” and you have 15 seconds to find the receptacle.
The nurse, immediately does her best “All that Jazz” imitation and says, “But you can’t be nauseous, I haven’t inserted the medicine yet, just the needle.”
I’d like to add yet another digression here. H and I play poker a lot together. And let me tell you, this woman can hide her tells. Usually. Oh, yes, she was very calm cool and collected as she drove to the hospital at 75 miles an hour (yes, H, I was looking). But, seeing her when I got sick right then and there, Let me say, I typically have no reason to doubt her love for me and this instance didn’t diminish that reason at all. Any poker player would have said, ‘Yup, that’s really live concern.’ Well, that pleasant episode lasted for about 2 minutes of embarrassment.
If you’re trying to sort out what that paragraph meant. I think it was to say that H did a wonderful job of giving off the appearance of being calm, cool, and collected but I really did give her more than one scare. And I love her dearly for seeing it thru with me. If you’re wondering why I wrote it in that really scattered, nonsensical way. I’m still sick… deal.
the next 3 hours went briskly. X-rays, pokes, prods, questions. They gave me several prescriptions and sent me dotingly on my way home… at 7am. With no sleep. I climbed into bed. Gave a short form to my coworkers and went to sleep. For 3 hrs. When the phone rang I looked at the caller. It was the hospital. The hospital said they found something on one of my X-rays in my throat and I should come right back in immediately. I was feeling marginally better. I vaguely woke H with a note. I drove back to the Hospital.
This trip wasn’t as fun. 1 hr wait to get more x-rays. and then 3 more hours and 3 requests to find out why every other patient in the waiting room had cycled thru twice before they took me to a room. More questions. And most were as if they hadn’t read my file from the previous night… which they hadn’t. By 2pm I was feeling much better albeit hungry, thirsty and sleep deprived. More pokes, prods, and the like.. they felt that maybe I was okay after all.
I got some chinese food, (light and easy to swallow), got my drugs (yum codeine!), and ought H a bouquet of flowers to say thanks.
So, now it’s 11:30. I’m feeling up to about 70% again. The doctor actually told me to take 3-4 days off and wrote a note for my boss. My boss, get this, sent me a response to take care of myself and get better. Wow. I also received some VERY good news via email that I’ve been waiting for. Only about 3 people know about this… and I’m not likely to tell except under certain conditions. I’m not ready and the good news is only one step along a longer journey.
Now I have to make some food so that I can take my horse pill of an antibiotic. yugh.
So, let that be a warning for all you new initiators doing OTO Death Initiations… The energy doesn’t just go after the candidates. 😉
*wave*
Edit: Only about 20 spelling and grammar errors. I shouldn’t type while sick and tired 😉