Recently, I have been talking about doing my summer bucket list. And it slowly being checked off:
1. Go to Rigby Lake
2. Bear World
3. Jackson Hole
4. Monkey Rock
5. Kayak on Egan Lake or Snake River
6. Float down the Snake River
7. Education week (which we are doing this coming week)
8. Go boating
9. Bike Trails in the Tetons
10. Go camping one more time.
11. Attend Family Reunion
One of our many adventures would be Ed Week. Brett and I were able to go down to Provo, Utah to attend Education week. It was seriously a blast and it really helps recharge the battery for spiritual life.
We ended up driving down on Sunday because my mom needed us to check into our little dorm before housing closed for the night because they were making the long trip from Oregon to Provo. We didn't mind, we played our music and enjoyed our short trip down to Provo. We got there and got lost because neither of us know the first thing about Provo or BYU. We eventually found where to check in (mainly because we followed all the older ladies around. haha)
When we got into our dorm room (Young Hall) it was sweltering hot. We checked the thermostat at it read up to 88 degrees! But I figured that it might be hot (not that hot) in our little dorm room, so I already brought our box fan. So we set that up as fast as we could.
Then the next big adventure came into our lives. I called my mom to see where they were and let them know we got everything set up. Thats when she decides to tell us that my youngest sister Courtney was in the car with the stomach flu. They were stopping constantly to let her throw up. (gross) Amberlie my younger sister was in the car as well and after a few hours in the car, she got it too. Brett and I were pretty upset because we did NOT want to get sick. This was our vacation and we didn't want to spend it throwing everything up, in a sweltering hot dorm room.
It turns out that my younger brother back and home had gotten it and while my dad was trying to take care of him, he got it as well. My sister-in-law, Christa, had gotten this bug right before they left, along with her daughter, Alayna. It sounded like a monster bug and Brett and I were pretty nervous about lied ahead of us.
Once they arrived, Courtney and Amberlie looked absolutely miserable. They look completely white (I have never seen someone SO white) and we made sure that they were comfortable. We had already set up their room just for them. Brittany and Tyler came in a separate car and felt that they were pretty safe from the bug.
Brittany, Brett, and I all played Settlers of Catan and the whole time Brittany started to complain about how gross she felt. She thought it was all the junk food she ate on the way over to Provo. Brett, Tyler, and I decided it was time to try to protect ourselves the best that we could. We went down to Walmart and bought every hand santizer, Lysol wipes, and cleaning spray that we could find. From then on Brett, Ty, and I were the germ police and we made sure that everyone got coated with lysol spray or sanitized.
By around 2 am, Brittany had gotten the bug and was throwing up all night! Brett and I couldn't sleep because that is all we heard. (grosssss.) The next day Brett said that we need to add earplugs and a sleeping mask in order to survive this thing. I quickly agreed. We had gotten only 2 hours of sleep the night before and we sent to purchase all sorts of meds and our new items. Britt has Asthma and started to have asthma attacks while she was throwing up and so my mom ended up bringing her to the emergency room and she was able to get an IV.
Amberlie and Courtney were on the recovery side on the torture chamber and after we took care of all the sickies. My mom, Brett, Ty, Court, and I all went out to eat at Tucans brazian grill and then walked around the mall. It was a ton of fun and we felt really bad leaving Ambi because she was basically all better but we wanted to make sure she was fully recovered.
Tuesday was the start of Education week! That morning my mom got sick and only threw up once and then she took an nausea pill that Brittany got from the doctor and she just waited out the morning until she felt OK enough to attend classes. Brett and I went to a few classes which were SO good! I had forgotten how good ED week is. I was able to attend some financial classes which was my main interest. I learned how to do little choices to set myself up for retirement. I got so excited because I can easily make the changes to help build myself up for success. I was also able to attend a spiritual class on how to live with the expectation of perfection. My favorite class that I went to was with Brett. We went to a Tango Class. We were totally horrible! haha. We thought we would never get the hang of it but by the end of the class we were learning some pretty cool tricks.
The next day I woke up and Amberlie and Brett were still around. We talked for a little bit and I was eating grapes for Breakfast (one of my favorites) and then as we all got ready and about to set out for our classes. I realized that I did not feel very good. It felt like I ate too much junk food (the same thing Brittany felt!!) and the next thing I knew I was throwing up all those grapes. (GROSS!). I had caught the Evil, Monster Bug!!! NOOOO!!! After I thew up I felt better so I was hoping that it wasn't a full day thing but more like my mom's situation where she only thew up once. So I got a nausea pill and tried to sleep. That didn't last long. For the next 6 hours, every 15 to 20 minutes, I was throwing up. It was the WORST stomach bug I had ever gotten. I was absolutely miserable. Brett insisted to stay with me and help me through this but I didn't want this evil upon him. He was able to give me a blessing which helped comfort me a little. Every time I tried to sleep, I woke up ready to explode and almost not making it. It was coming out of everywhere. I felt so gross and sick. I honestly thought I was going to die from the flu. The only thing that was going through my head was my teacher from last semester that spoke about the number one cause of death in 3rd world countries was the flu and I thought my time was up as well. :(
By around 4pm, I was begging my mom and brett to take me to the hospital. I couldn't take it anymore and I felt like it was getting worse. Brett was able to drag me out of the bed and by I got into the car I was already hurling into a bag we brought. We went to the Student Health Center which was seriously about 2 blocks from where we were staying. By the time we got into the health center, I had already thrown up 3 times. I walked into the Urgent Care and the nurses took one look at me and grabbed a wheelchair and started to check me in. They couldn't take my vitals because I was already starting to hurl again so they laid me down for me to take it.
By that time I was so weak I could barely move. I have never seen a doctor come into see me so quickly. He gave me a nausea pill that you suck on that way it doesn't have to process through your stomach but goes directly into your blood stream. The ironic part of the whole situation was I was so healthy! I didn't have a fever. They said that my pulse and everything was better than normal. They said it looked fantastic. haha. The doctor said that I should get an IV. So they walked me down the hall and I was so pathetic that Brett AND the doctor held me up so I could walk two doors down.
The IV was amazing! The nurse though was trying to get my vain and normally its not that difficult to find and I told her that and she basically said "oh I can find your vain just fine but there is absolutely nothing it. She said that she had seen people with a blood pressure of 30 who had stronger vains that I did. She said she has never seen someone so dehydrated. She told she never wanted to see me with so little fluid in my body."
I believed it! I was miserable.
I wanted an another IV be the time I finished mine. They wouldn't let me. They told me that I can't take another nausea pill for another 6 hours. So the instant I went home. I went directly to bed and I feel asleep instantly. I knew that if just kept sleeping the time would pass faster for me to take my pill. I slept for a good 5 or so hours and then I attempted to start drinking. It took about 4 hours to drink 8 ounces of water. I really wasn't that thirsty and I think that was because of the IV I had gotten. But I really wanted that nasty acid taste out of my mouth. Brett and I had our laptop and we watched "How to train a dragon". I more likely listened to it then watched it.
The next morning I felt sick still and I took it slow. I only attended 3 classes. They were so good and I only wish I could have attended more but I knew I needed more sleep and so I did. I also wanted to eat food! I was starving by the time lunch came. And I ordered a lot but all I could manage was a small cup of rice. :( I guess my stomach would not have none of it.
I was so worried about Brett. I did not want him to catch this evil bug at all. It was the worst thing that I had ever gone through physically and (including my surgery on my hand). But he wouldn't leave me alone, he loves me too much. :) He is such a great hubby.
After attending another finance class (I know, I'm obsessed) and a marriage class, we met up with Melissa Maughan. One of Brett's good friend from New York.
After that we were able to hang out with 2 of Brett's Mission buddies and their wives. It was a ton of fun. We ate at Red Robin, even though I only had a salad and I only could eat about a quarter of it. Then we went back to their apartment and played Farkle. It was great time and it only made us more excited to move down to Provo this January.
Friday, I spent all day in classes. I felt like already missed so much. There was so many good ones and I can't believe that I had gotten sick during all of this wonderful classes. We also had a signature card that is a prepaid card of 50 dollars that you can use on campus for food and things. By the end of the week if you don't use the money you don't get a refund so it was important to spend it before you leave. So since, I barely ate all week, I had 30 dollars still on my card and I was able to buy a nice book. :)
Saturday came around and we were finally able to leave that horrible dorm room. I hope they deep clean that apartment because it is probably still full of nasty stomach flu bug. All of us were able to drive up to Salt Lake and see the new mall, temple square, and eat at a restaurant called the Red Iguana. It was delicious. The bad part was that Tyler had gotten the bug. He couldn't eat a thing and so by the time we left the restaurant, He was miserable. They were all heading back to Boise and so they left pretty quick. We find out later that he just threw up once and he felt better after that. Lucky Kid.
And the most amazing thing about this whole adventure was that BRETT BROOKSBY SURVIVED!!! He did not catch the bug at all!!! It was truly amazing. I guess my prayers worked and all of the blessings he gave during our trip and helped save him from that evil, monster bug.
I know that was a ton but I felt that I don't write enough anyways. Sorry for the torture everyone!! :)
