...but I haven't been healthy.

On Tuesday afternoon, I was feeling kinda bad. It had been a hot day, and I had forgotten to pack my lunch, so I blamed my fatigue on those two factors and used my free last period to lie down in the air-conditioned teacher's lounge. I was planning on going to dinner, so when I got home I ate a little something to just get my strength back up and lay down again for 45 minutes before heading out. When I got to dinner, despite having had nothing but a bowl of cereal, 4 Oreos and half a canned peach all day, I couldn't eat more than 10 bites because my stomach started feeling rather lousier. After a bit of shopping, we got in a taxi to head home. I was dropped off from the taxi about 4 blocks from my house. I made it two before I had to set my bags down and vomit.

I hate vomiting. Doing it on the side of the road doesn't help any.

A nice man helped me carry my bags the remaining way home, and I managed to catch LOST on TV, but I went to bed immediately after that.

I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned, slowly coming to the realization that I wasn't going to get out of this without puking again. I just had to coax my body into it. Immediately upon finishing the second bout, the diarrhea began. (Did I mention this bathroom escapade was happening with no power, as well?) When I had another bout of diarrhea in the night, I knew I would not be at work the next day.

This was a fortunate timeline to have to miss school, as the 11th graders were going on a spiritual retreat this particular Wednesday. I was supposed to be one of the chaperones, but my absence would not nearly be missed on this day like on any other day. And I didn't have to worry about sub plans.

So I stayed home, lying low, watching TV, bumming the Internet. I was quite positive this would be a passing thing, and 'round the end of the school day I'd be able to get down to some much needed work. It didn't work like this. I continued to feel crappy, no pun intended, all day. And the following night.

By the time Thursday came around, I felt well enough to go to school, but I was thankful we still had about a class' worth of movie to watch, since I didn't feel up to actually running a full-blown class. I had more digestional problems throughout the day, and could do little more than lie down and watch a movie when I got home.

Friday was similar. I have never had such a bout of diarrhea before in my life. Finally on Friday I went to the school doctor and got a prescription, and some hydration salts to dissolve in my water. Painful gas felt like it was tearing up my insides.

Yesterday morning, my insides finally felt somewhat normal. The diarrhea persisted somewhat, but I felt okay. This was very fortunate, as I had been looking forward to a Valentine's dinner all week, and I was in a state to go and completely enjoy it.

As of this writing, I'm still not entirely through the woods. I feel much, much better, and I'm actually capable of doing work, but the prescription finally seems to be doing what my body could not by itself. I'm down a full roll of toilet paper, but I watched 4 movies in the last 3 days, and I'm actually feeling well, so God is good.