This is a really long post, but I have to get it all out ...
Last year, after planning a last-minute vacation in July, I got sick. Really sick. The kind of sick that I should've gone-to-the-hospital sick. I kinda knew what led up to it because I had seen it coming ... I'd feel awful after drinking soda. Coke. My Achilles.
Some days I would drink soda and my kidneys would start to hurt within minutes, other days I'd go to sleep and when I woke up I'd feel like I had been run over ... or my kidneys had turned to stone. It was always painful. I'd stop drinking soda for a while, then the headaches would start. First I'd start taking little sips to appease the caffeine withdrawals. Then the bargaining: I'll only drink soda at work, but we had a vending machine so it was too readily available, so I'll drink soda only at home ... only on my days off ... only when we go out. Soon I was drinking it every day again until I felt like crap. I even tried keeping track of days I "didn't" have soda in my BuJo. I failed.
Hi, I'm addicted to soda. :(
I still am, but I digress ... so it's the day before we're to drive out to California and I start peeing blood ... very little pee and a whole lot of pressure and pain. The dogs were boarded, everything was recently paid for and going to sit at the ER now was going to throw every off. Plus, I really didn't want to sit in a waiting room for 6 hours when I could sit in a car for close to the same time. If I was gonna die, I might as well die doing something I like, right? We went to the store before hitting the freeway, I got water and 2 large containers of cranberry juice. The good stuff. I had read up on essential oils that were good for cleansing your kidneys, more on that at the end.* I had some antibiotics, I honestly don't know if they were expired or not, but I couldn't take them yet because if I LIVED I was gonna be out in the sun a lot the next 2 days, and it said to stay out of the sun while taking. Yes, that is really how my mind works. So with that, I gave up my right to drive half the way due to pain and focused on drinking all this water and juice before arriving in California.
I did what I do best, I was annoying as fuck to keep my boyfriend awake at the wheel and I took pictures. I take pictures of everything. And I prayed the whole way ... "if you let me live, I will NEVER drink soda again". It was my mantra the whole way.
I felt a little better after arriving, no lie. I was still seeing blood in my urine but I was able to pee more. I felt good enough to walk from our motel to McDonalds and back. I wasn't great, I had to take pain meds for my withdrawals and I was still scared.
California came and went. I lived. Once home I started the antibiotics.
It's been almost 6 months and I still have not had any soda.
I still crave it, that's why I said I'm still addicted but after what I went thru, it's a promise I never plan on breaking. I will never drink soda again ... which brings me to the present ...
(sigh) *takes a sip of chamomile tea*
Last Thursday at work I got sick. So sick that when the supervisor came around saying he was gonna send someone home 'cause we were slow, I asked it to be me. I never call out or leave early. I'm still not drinking soda so this was something new, and MORE painful. It felt like an awful air bubble, an air bubble with SPIKES, was traveling thru my intestines. I couldn't go to the bathroom, I felt like throwing up AND passing out. It was all sorts of fucked up hitting me at once. I went home. I'd like to die on my own toilet, please.
I went home to die AND I had to get better overnight to go back to work the next day.
My boyfriend's mom recommended Pepto and since I haven't had it in years, it worked great.
I tried to think of what could've gotten me sick. We were eating out less, more at home and my boyfriend was fine. I couldn't even drink coffee 'cause the last one I had made my stomach hurt and started all this, so ... hmm. Turns out for the past who knows how many days, all I've had to drink is coffee and a bottle of water per day. Yes, 1 bottle, and I do know how many days but I'm not telling how I almost killed myself a second time. I started to drink water until it was time for bed.
Friday: I got up and went to work, I drank water all day + a liter of tea with honey, and a pack of crackers to help settle my stomach. I had something small for dinner, I don't remember what, probably more crackers. After going to bed, for the first time in forever, I was up all night peeing. I felt fine aside from feeling like I was starving.
Saturday: More of the same, just water all day. I ate for the first time and felt fine, but I was starting to get caffeine withdrawal headaches. After eating I made some coffee and sipped it. I should've stopped when I was full but it was delicious. I didn't get sick though. For dinner, my boyfriend got Cane's and after drinking so much water all day, I could only eat half a caniac. I saved the other half for breakfast.
Sunday: I am still drinking water. I haven't had any more pain. I ate. I think my coffee consumption will go down to every other day or only as needed. :( And ONLY on a full stomach, and ONLY after drinking water. Today was the first time I've pooped since getting sick. I know. TMI. I'm sorry. It was a great bowel movement. LOL
Guys, I'm 50something and I learn something new every day. Take care of your body.
*For anyone interested in what essential oils I took when I got sick the first time:
I put 3-4 drops each in a capsule: Marjoram, Rosemary, Clove, and Oregano.
I was taking 2 capsules every 8 hours. I tapered off as I got better, now I only take 1 capsule once a week.
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