I Am Alive!

Guess what I did today?

  1. I took a shower.
  2. I put on makeup.
  3. I blow-dried my hair.
  4. I went to work. In yoga pants, but still. I think it counts.

I’m striving for a return to normalcy today, even though I don’t feel like I’m quite there yet.

I took this photo yesterday morning to prove that, despite a miserable night, I was in better spirits. You can tell, right?

I’m getting better though! I haven’t had a fever in 24 hours, and while I’d love to be all, “I rested and I hydrated and took care of myself, yo, and I totally overcame this stomach flu by being an amazing human,” we all know that’s not the case. I personally didn’t “beat” anything. But I did make the very wise decision to go to the doctor yesterday, and so let’s talk about that, because Dr. Urgent Care Center gets all the credit here.

After the worst night ever on Monday, I figured my feelings weren’t really normal. It took about three hours to get moving, but I finally dragged myself out of bed and made my way to an urgent care center/walk-in clinic near my apartment. I had never been before, and it was pretty amazing. The doctor saw me right away and checked me out.

He asked me all about my symptoms, which was fun because we got to talk about my extreme sexiness in great detail. Dr. Clinic said I have gastroenteritis. Google tells me that is a fancy word for “stomach flu.”

He told me to open my mouth, and then he said, “Wow, very dry.” Yay! Except that’s not a good thing.

The nurse man wheeled in a giant pole and a syringe and things, and I got hooked up to an IV that pumped me full of fluids and electrolytes and miracle cures.

This is my IV bag. We are friends.

I was there for two hours, because after I finished the first bag of juice, the doctor said, “We should probably give you another one.”

I left the doctor’s office feeling slightly better and far more optimistic. I ate a few bites of food last night and didn’t throw them up, so again, improvement!

Also huge: I slept through the night last night! I drank half a Gatorade before bed — my first one ever! — and even though I still felt nauseous this morning, it was nice not to actually throw up at all.

Within 20 minutes of waking up today, things weren’t great again, and I spent a good while in my second (first, really) home, the bathroom. My stomach still isn’t fully happy, apparently. I don’t think exercise is in the cards today, and I’m not planning to stay at the office for a full day. I’m still feeling really weak and exhausted and there’s still plenty of bathroom action happening. But it was nice to get some fresh air this morning and it’ll be nice to be around people again for a few hours today.

I took this photo last night, wearing a brightly-colored shirt, because I was feeling better post-IV! Also I was home alone and bored for the fourth day in a row, so don't judge me. I needed to be entertained.

That’s all for now. There’s far too much work to be done!

Have a great day, everyone. Stay healthy!

Ali

Ali

30 Responses

  1. I work in Public Health, with infectious disease surveillance and I can tell you it’s been an awful year for the Noroviruses. My ears actually perked up at a conference once where a particular researcher said he had seen some evidence that people of certain blood types and runners seemed more susceptible to the virus (can’t seem to find any literature to back the running thing up, but I do wonder if it’s true).

    Anyway, glad you are on the mend. Ali with the GI bug doesn’t have the same ring to it 🙂

  2. You might not have ‘beaten’ anything but you have a much better attitude about this than I would. I’d be a raging, moaning mess whining to anyone and everyone about it.

    I’m so glad you’re feeling a bit better – please don’t push yourself though. Better to be up, running and fighting fit than literally running on empty.

    xxx

  3. Yaaay glad you feel better! I had the stomach flu a few years ago and I totally overworked myself trying to get back into exercise. Good to hear that you are taking today off! Your body is probably soo depleted and needs a day or two of REAL SOLID FOOD before it can be expected to run at all! 🙂

  4. I’m glad you’re not going to try to run today. I’m also glad you’re feeling better. Get some rest. Feel better.

  5. Glad to hear you are on the mend! I hate hate hate IVs and think you are super brave to be stoked about them. I had my first one after suffering food poisoning on a 8+ hour transatlantic flight. I ended up in a hospital in London all alone with people stabbing stuff into my arm. So I’m not fond of IVs.

    And I hear you about crying when you puke. Almost nothing is worse in the world physically than throwing up.

    Rest up and look at puppy photos!!!

  6. I’m majorly knocking on wood, but I have not ever been that sick, ever. SOOOO glad you are feeling better! And yay for fluids!

  7. being sick is indeed no fun and i hate sucking it up and going to the drs but hoooowwww good do you feel after a liter of fluids goes in to your arm at mega speed? i swear there should be places that you could just go do that, like a froyo or oxygen bar

  8. GIRL!! I am so happy you are doing better and that you had a good experience at Urgent Care……love to pay doctors to tell me my mouth is dry ha! I hope work goes well and I am going to beg my boss to let me wear yoga pants to work ha!

  9. Glad to hear that you’re starting to feel a bit better. But you’re wise to take it easy and ease back in to things. Too much too soon and you’ll be back down for the count!

  10. yay for IVs! I currently have come down with some sort of virus – upper respiratory infection/throat thing. I think that means I should ice cream for dinner, right? Because its soothing to my throat. Maybe even 16 Handles. I think that’s the prescription for recovery that I really need.

  11. UGH, you have the flu from hell! Love that you french braided your hair & of course bright colors mean you feel better, duh! 🙂 Good luck at work today!

  12. I had gastro in college and then again at the end of January right after I came home from NYC! It really is the worst ever. I didn’t work out or dance for like 4 days after because the doctor said it could linger in my system if I overdid it. I’m glad you’re feeling better!!

    xo Marie
    Chocolate & Wine

  13. I’m glad you are on the mend. You must have been very dehydrated to get two iv bags.

    Keep your chin up – you will be running by the weekend. 🙂

  14. I am glad you are feeling better! Being sick is absolutely no fun!

    So I just moved to the UWS (yay) and I inspire to be a morning runner like you. Where you always a morning runner? I am havign so much trouble getting up in the morning.. Any ticks?

  15. glad you’re on the mend! (Take it easy though!) I am impressed by your energy/ability to braid your hair when you’re sick. Hope you picked a good gatorade flavor – i only associate gatorade with being sick (especially lemon/lime – ehhh) but i think the flavor makes a difference. Also, ice cubes/chips helps post-dehydration.

  16. Glad you were able to get some more rest and some fluids/food in you. When I had the stomach flu last year I went to work too soon (and too dehydrated) and passed out while quite ungracefully in the office. Don’t be like me. Feel better soon!

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about ali

I’m the creator of the Ali on the Run blog and the host of the Ali on the Run Show podcast. I’m also a freelance writer and editor, a race announcer, a runner and marathoner, a mom, and a huge fan of Peanut M&Ms, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (way better than the first one!), and reliving my glory days as a competition dancer in the early 2000s. I’m really happy you’re here.
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