Sick

I am sick.

Just regular old stomach bug sick, 101, can't keep anything down, found myself lying on the floor the other night until I finally got up on the couch and stayed there until about 3 a.m. when I got the energy to crawl up to bed.

The only good news was that in and out of dozing and being sick in a bag I managed to watch the whole first day of the Australian Open before it went off the air at 3 a.m. So exciting to see Nadal back in good form and to see the Open season start. The bad news is that I got the worst crick in my neck and have it still.

Also Maddie is not too happy with me.

I am not entertaining her in the way to which she has grown accustomed.

Hello from the hospital

I am in the hospital at Holyoke Medical Center getting IV antibiotics for a urinary tract infection.

It made a full onslaught Saturday when I had settled in for a night of watching the Australian Open and indulging in binge watching of "The Office," which my kids turned me onto recently.

I suddenly got very cold around 11 at night, and just as soon as I had covered up with blankets and turned up the heat, I started shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't even steady my finger long enough to send a text. I couldn't find a thermometer and Joe was in Boston, so Meryl came to the rescue and went to CVS and got me one. A had 102.7. I called Dr. Alyea and he of course said to go to the hospital. I dialed 911 for an ambulance because I could barely stand and had begun throwing up like crazy. It's convenient to live two doors from the fire station, because the ambulance came in the blink of an eye.

The ambulance is definitely the way to go. I got right into a room and pretty soon after that got hooked up to fluids and an antibiotic. It's amazing how quickly I felt better.

Joe came back from Boston in the middle of the night, sitting by my side for yet another emergency room visit. They admitted me for a couple of days of IV antibiotics. I soon felt good enough to walk around, but you can't go very far, making me miss the corridors at my old hang-out, Brigham and Women's. The food was pre-ordered, and when lunch came it was something I couldn't even recognize. Same thing for dinner. You could starve in a place like this. Both times a nurse was kind enough to get me a sandwich.  Last night I was happy to get a banana and a chocolate pudding. Yesterday Joe brought me a coffee, but I have already figured out the ropes. This morning I got a cup of the nurses' coffee plus some toast made on the floor so it wasn't stone cold.

Looks like I'll be getting out this afternoon. I'll have to see what kind of mischief I get into next.
Or not.

You want me to do what?

A friend wants three of us to run a 10-mile race in May.

Why do I find this so funny?

Because I haven't run more than two miles at the most, and now I'm not running at all,

due to the snow all around and also because after my glorious runs in New York, my knees hurt. It might be easier on a treadmill, but even in winter, I either run outside or not at all. I'm already paying for yoga and tennis, and I can't justify joining a gym.

I asked my friend, Tami, whether she could come up with a shorter race. She said not to worry about it; it's mostly downhill, she plans to do a walk/run, and if I just want to do part of it, that's OK. Of course nobody is making me do it, and, realistically, I'm not sure it's possible. But the idea intrigues me.

Meanwhile, Emily signed me up. Thanks, Em.

This morning we had a three-way phone conversation about their progress in training. Arrgggh.

On Wednesday I'm going to revisit the doctor who built up the heel of my orthotics to take the pressure off in an effort to alleviate the plantar fasciitis. I wonder if my knees hurt because he over-corrected. Hopefully that's the case and he'll make an adjustment. In the meantime, I've been able to play tennis, because my heels feel better and tennis doesn't involve the kind of constant movement that hurts my knees. (Although after watching the tennis players constantly move their feet in the Australian Open, I'm reminded how I spend too much time just standing around on the court.)

I've also continued walking Maddie, though even that hurts my knees somewhat.

Today I came up with an interesting and fun interim plan.

I walked Maddie around the unplowed upper lake, where walkers, skiers and snowshoers have created two parallel narrow paths with a mound of snow in between. Maddie ran around like crazy, playing with other dogs along the way. I did a combination of walking and "jogging" using a gait as though I was cross-country skiing.

It didn't hurt my knees because the snow made the ground feel padded. I went a couple of miles this way. Trying to stay on the one narrow lane was good for my balance. (At right, my running partner takes a break.)

Occasionally I veered off-course, stepping in a pile of snow. Feeling like a kid playing, I let out a little yelp. Maddie turned around to check on me, either wondering if I was OK or wondering why I was acting so funny. (Who knows what they think?) In any case, she looked a little funny also.

Garrison Keillor had a good "Prairie Home Companion" tonight. Talking about how winter can feel really long right about now, he advised against staying in the house too much.

"Get out, get out, get out!" he said.

It's hard to get out. Sometimes it takes me half the day to do it. But it's a pretty good idea.