So I’m not being dramatic when I say that Saturday was one of the worst days I’ve had in awhile. Through all my medical drama this year, I haven’t felt stellar but feel like I’m getting better by the day thanks to various medications. Saturday started off great….I woke up early, made coffee, breakfast then caught up on some reading and watched the news. Even though it was supposed to snow later in the day, I wanted to be productive, get out of the house and run various errands.
First one being the gym, I’ve been dedicated to going this week and getting back into my old schedule and am proud of myself for sticking with it. The gym was something that was once second nature to me became pretty non existent this past summer when I wasn’t feeling great. And this has affected me big time both physically and mentally. I can’t go as long as I once did on the elliptical or lift as much as I used to which is a huge bummer and messes with my mind. When I went on Saturday I wasn’t fully mentally awake yet so I told myself that I would stick with 30 minutes on the elliptical and then do some leg action. While I was on the elliptical it started snowing and that instantly brought a smile to my face. Call me crazy but something about snowfall is so magical to me and gives me a sense of comfort.
I ended up doing 32 minutes on the elliptical and then working on my hamstrings and quads. In the middle of my workout I had a sudden feeling that I had to go to the bathroom which I didn’t think anything of since I drink so much water in day…..like 150+ oz. (I am seriously considering buying stock in Charmin since I feel like I’m forever in the bathroom a lot). When I went it hurt, like ridiculous, I had to cry-aloud- kind-of-hurt. I go to the bathroom like 12 times a day, this is not a normal reaction….”Could I have torn or pulled something while working on my legs?” was my first thought. Then I wiped and there were spots of blood, seeing that my period was two weeks ago this couldn’t be a good thing but maybe there was some straining?
I kept going on and ran the rest of my errands then stopped at Tokyo Joes for a free meal, thanks to a bad experience during my last visit. Seeing that my bank account is in the double digits until pay day on Thursday, I’m all about the free stuff this week. As much as I dislike Tokyo Joe’s, this meal was a success. I got the build your own bowl with steak, udon, peanut sauce and veggies and it was delightful.
But again, the feeling that I had to go to the bathroom hit me not only when I walked in but also at the end of my meal. And this time there was more red spotting. I thought about what was going on and it brought me back to college-the last time I had a UTI. Pain when burning, constant feeling of needing to go—those were all symptoms right? Just to be sure I stopped at the supermarket and picked up a huge jug of cranberry juice hoping that it would make this all go away.
And it didn’t…..by the time I got back to my bf’s place I was peeing straight up blood. Insert freak out session here! Seeing pure red when you go to the bathroom is a shock to the system and as much as it hurt to pee, walk, breathe, etc. I made my way to the computer and checked out urgent care centers open on Saturdays in the area. Luckily Concentra took my insurance so I made my way over there all the while trying to hold back tears because I was in so much pain. I’ve never been to an urgent care that didn’t have a wait so when I walked in and saw no one there I was a bit surprised. I did the paperwork and in the middle told the receptionist I had to go to the bathroom and she had me do a sample right there which again looked like was blood with a hint of urine. I went back to the reception area and couldn’t take my mind off the pain. For those who know me…..football was on and there was a Keurig right next to the tv and I didn’t want to have anything to do with either. But at least Concentra was clean and empty because for as much pain as I was in, I just could not deal with screaming kids at that moment.
I got in right away and saw the doctor. They examined my urine and came to the conclusion it was a bladder infection or UTI based on the sample and symptoms. To make it worse they also tested for pregnancy which was something I did not need to worry about on top of feeling like I was dying (negative, hooray!!) He prescribed me some antibiotics and was on my merry way and could somewhat rest easier now that I had an answer as to what was going on with my rebellious, jacked up body.
When I went to the pharmacy, the pharmacist told me that one of the medications may turn my urine orange and not to be alarmed if it does. I was at the point where I would be willing to take any other color than red and was intrigued by the whole orange pee thing. I’ve had clear, bright yellow (damn you asparagus), the normal stuff then red but never in my life have I had orange pee. And homegirl was right—that stuff was orange. It looked as if I had chugged a gallon of orange Hi-C and was letting it all go. Expelling something level of orange freaked me out and at one point my toilet looked like a freaking candy corn—white, yellow and orange. Can we say gross?? I got home, went to the bathroom, took my meds and got started on dinner. Even though I was in pain down there, my appetite was still present and decided pumpkin chili would be a perfect meal for a snowy night. It had been a year since I made it and comfort was much in order. I tweaked the ingredients this time and maybe it was the meat instead of veggies crumbles addition but I enjoyed this way more than last time!
Pumpkin Chili
1 lb ground beef, cooked
1 lb ground chorizo, cooked
2 14.5 cans diced tomatoes with juice and garlic
1 can tomato paste
1 can pumpkin
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
18 oz. tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped, cooked
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp salt
I spent the next four hours smelling the chili cooking in the crockpot while sitting on the couch in pain and having to get up every 20 minutes to go to the bathroom. Each time I went I was brought to tears because of how bad it hurt. But the whole time I had a cute boy to keep me company along with some great tv.
I was productive in the fact that I finally caught up on my tv shows and even started a new one that was become an addiction just after the first episode. To all those who have been raving about Homeland for the past year-here is my apology for not believing you when you went on about how great of a show it was. After one episode I was hooked and spent Saturday night and Sunday morning plowing through a good part of the first season. By only beef with the show is from a casting standpoint. Damian Lewis (Nicolas Brody) looks as English as a crumpet and I’m just not buying into the notion of him playing an American Marine. It’s like when movies try to pass off Emily Mortimer as an American, just not realistic. I do enjoy that the show was filmed in Charlotte and I know where they are in certain scenes, even though the show is set primarily in DC. Regardless, it’s safe to say that I no longer need coffee because this has become my crack! Check this show out!
Today, I’m feeling about 90% better but the whole experience on Saturday was straight up scary. I’m so thankful that I have health insurance again (and finally hit my $1,000 deductible!), that Concentra was open on a Saturday afternoon and could prescribe me some meds to feel better and get the red out. However, after seeing orange pee for two days I’m ready to move onto my usual clear. Moral of the story-if you see blood in your urine, get to the doctor!