Victoria's Secret

I love Victoria's Secret.  Not because of anything other than the fact that they have great sales ALL the time, send me free underwear, and oh yeah, they make my favorite underwear....Remember?  But what I don't realize about Victoria's Secret is that it must sell more for Valentine's Day than for anything else.  How do I know this? I made the mistake of going on Valentine's Day because I needed a pick-me-up and buying underwear is just that!

Things that I saw:
- There were more men buying lingerie than women.  Actually there were only 2 women other than me in the store.  The PACKED store.
- This tells us two things: men procrastinate, and men buy women lingerie for Valentine's Day
- There was a high-school aged couple shopping for lingerie....TOGETHER.  So so so awkward.  I would never do that even if I had a ring to legitimize the activity.  Just too much scandalousness, and awkwardness, and she was asking if he could come in the dressing room with her and just gross.
- What this tells us is that high schoolers have no fear.  Brighton is tiny.  They could have ran in to teachers, parents, friends, anyone!
- The store was incredibly picked over.  Even my underwear choices were limited.
- This tells us that it had been a busy week for this establishment.
- Their swim suit tops don't come in Large in the store or in extra large at all.
- I can't wear swim suits.

#160: Grateful for shopping experiences
#161: Grateful for good laughs
#162: Grateful for good conversations that are longer than you realize
#163: Grateful for UHS and free health services.
#164: Grateful for doctors who are proactive and nice.

It's Happening...

Every single fall since I've been at Michigan I have gotten sick sick.  Like not cold, sick but sick sick.  It has typically been bronchitis.  But there was that one special year that I was one of the many struck by The Swine of 09.

Well, remember how I had pneumonia in August? I do.  I was hoping that it would credit my seasonal bronchitis episode so that I wouldn't have to go through two miserable sicknesses.  I am obviously not that lucky.

I was up ALL night last night coughing.  Woke up with a low grade fever, but felt decent throughout the day.  I even worked out with my madre! Alas, I am currently feeling ILL.  Swollen lymph nodes, congested, sore throat, heavy chest, you know the drill.  Oh and my fever is much higher.  WOOT.

Sorry for the complaints.  It is now time to be greatful...
#66: Warm, clean sheets and warm, not as clean blankets.  It was laundry day.  And I love clean sheets.  But comforters are too hard to wash. 
#67: Halls Defense.  They are tasty, corn syrup free and will hopefully boost my sad little immune system.
#68: Thanksgiving weekend plans.  SO excited. I'll tell you about them lata gata..
#69: Inappropriate jokes that make me laugh even though they shouldn't but I don't care because everyone needs to laugh.
#70: My madre.  She makes delicious food, loves me, cleans for my family and I, and cares about my wellbeing.  I love her.  I am proud of her. 

Labor Day Weekend

Even though all of us Polen's have spent ample amounts of time at the houseboat, there have only been a few where all five of us were there at the same time.  Labor Day provided an end of summer, all-out weekend for the five of us to tie out with our houseboating friends! It was tons of fun!

I was still getting over Pneumonia, but my siblings forced me to tube.  So I did.  Zach fell off several times, while Brittany and I showed our master tubing skills off.

They also made me wake board first.  We all are decent at wake boarding after years of not understanding the sport.  It's fun, but it is oh so easy to face plant.  Brittany experienced some thigh pain the next day after using her right leg to keep herself from face planting.  It was, um, interesting to watch!  Zach crashed several times because he was distracted/cocky and I ended my turn by crashing on a wave that was just a little bit big....

 Spoiled pups.  They love the lake.  They go, expecting to see their best friends too.  When we bring Scarlet, and Brittany and Einstein aren't there...she is not a happy camper.  Same with Einstein. 

They both have life jackets now and can swim well! They've both ridden on the jet ski now, too!!  Scarlet loves it...Einstein not so much. 

Cancer Sucks Ass like Woah

I'm having trouble thinking of someone who has not been touched by cancer in the form of a parent, grandparent, friend or distant relative.  My grandmother, a woman I miss on a daily basis, think of often, and attribute many of my accomplishments, lost her battle to cancer after several years of kicking its ass.  My mother was diagnosed over two years ago, and is doing better today than anyone thought she'd be doing.  My aunt was diagnosed in 2004, and while she told the "C" word where to go she was raising 2 great girls and working full time (no joke).  A family friend defeated a form of Leukemia that few manage to fight off.  And currently, my grandfather is rocking at telling his cancer where to go. 

Of course there are more family friends, numerous current and past neighbors, kids I went to school with, and parents of friends of mine that have also had to fight this disease.  I have seen so many people experience both the patient side and the care giving side.  After you've done one side, you never want the other.  The reality is that many people have experienced both.

 

Not only did this video make me cry, but it also made me realize the fear that I have towards cancer.  I hate thinking about it, I hate talking about it, and I hate knowing that there are people everywhere dealing with it in some form or another.  

It's kind of how I am with car accidents, really.  I am completely terrified of car accidents (though I enjoy driving, kind of).  I was almost in an accident last monday (I wasn't driving) and it was incredibly difficult to hold it together.  I cried the whole drive home (after getting in my car) and didn't sleep at all that night.  I had nightmares and kept seeing flashes from the various accidents I've been in.  I've often said that I really don't think my psyche could handle surviving another serious car crash.  It's just too much to already know that I walked away from two could-have-been-deadly crashes.

With cancer, I feel like I've been "lucky" in some ways.  My mom's cancer is rare, fast, aggressive and hard to beat.  But she did with flying colors.  And almost 2 years of clean PETs are unheard of, yet she just keeps rockin' each one.  My grandma lost her battle in the end, but I had some of the most amazing conversations with her while she was still alive through her illness.  Ones I wouldn't trade for the world.  My aunt fought cancer like it was no biggie, trudged through it like a rockstar.  So many people I know have survived...so eventually that has to end, right?  I hate hearing of new cases because if they pass away it makes me realize that I'm going to have to experience that again, too.  If they survive, it makes me feel like the good luck is going to run out sooner or later.

Let me know what you think of the song.  How do you view cancer?  Is it scary or just part of life?

My Pneumonia and Me

So I mentioned a few days ago that I was sick...and not feeling too hot.  Well I'm pretty sick.  And still not feeling too hot.

I went to the doctor a couple days ago, my pulse-ox was only 91, I had a really low peak flow and couldn't stop coughing.  They said it was bronchitis, put me on Zpak and prednisone and let me on my way.

Well a few days later I start to get worried because I'm getting worse, not better, and after talking to my asthma doctor (who scolded me and told me to go to an ER right away), I did end up going to an ER.  Which is in Brighton, where I was in a room, had tests done, and had seen my doctor within 20 minutes. 

not mine...but what the xrays look like. 

They did some x-rays, gave me IV steroids and antibiotics.  They also did lots of blood work and I had 2 breathing treatments.  I was going to sleep there, because that was what was recommended...but being there was just as miserable as being at home and they don't really let you sleep.  So I went home. 

Today, my x-ray was evaluated by a radiology tech.  I have pneumonia.  For the record, in my 22nd years of life, I have had pnuemonia 3 times now.  So when your children are offered the vaccine, stop being dumb and thinking they're linked to asbergers and autism (they aren't) and give them the vaccine.

Now, I'm at home with vick's vapor rub on my chest, drinking water and juice and mountain dew (caffeine helps asthma), watching TV and lying in bed trying not to move (lots of pain from the fluid in my lungs).  No one is home so it's oober boring.  I'm on 4 prescriptions and also have meds to help with my fever, cough and asthma.

Now it's a waiting game.  If I'm not better by Monday, it's back to the ER for me.  Why isn't there a quick fix to this?

I know I get sick often, but usually it's allergy related.  This is AWFUL.  Way worse than the Swine of 09, people. WAY WAY worse. 

Six Hours 'til Go

It is currently 12:21 on Thursday night (technically Friday morning but that's dumb because I haven't gone to sleep yet).

Well I officially have bronchitis.  In the dead of summer. What.The.Hell.  During the day I don't feel too bad, still coughing but it's a dry cough and not too ache-y or wheeze-y.  Night time is another story.

The Problem...

Night Time: Wheezing, difficulty getting a full breath, very light headed, CRAZY low peak flows (for you asthma illiterates, a peak flow measures lung function by blowing in to it.  It gives you a read out that lets you know how your lungs are doin.  My personal best is around 400.  My normal day is around 375.  I just took it and it was 225.  For those literate in asthma, you know how uncomfortable that is), and a wicked chest/productive cough that cough medicine, inhalers and cough drops don't even touch.

So what's a girl to do in this dilemma...the dilemma of being crazy busy yet being exhausted from being sick?  Tomorrow I have a PET scan at 7am (hence the 6 hours), a dr's appointment at 12:15, am working at 1 and my day will be done around 8:30.  I can't sleep of course because I'm uncomfortable and miserably coughing with every intake of oxygen.  So, alas, I'm facebooking and watching the Tonight Show hoping Jay Leno does headlines. 

Too bad I'm not this cute when I'm sick...

Thank you to the wonderful Yeha (she's a blogger, too...just on hiatus) for making me smile, at least, tonight!!!  She brought back to life a post she had put on my wall the Summer of 08 (a rough but learning roller coaster ride in Jackie History) about her beginning at U of M.  She was dreading North Campus...and look at where she is now!!  God has used her gifts tremendously.  And as selfish as this sounds, if she was placed on NC just for me, it would not have been a waste...seriously. 

Off to cough, TV watch, and drink fluids. 

Tummy Ache

By now you know (either from my blog or the 200 pictures I posted on facebook) that Amanda's wedding was last weekend.

After Sunday night we got back to the hotel around 1:30 and we were starving...so we drove (not me, I was still drinking.  Denise drove) to McDonald's.  I had been doing SO well with sticking to my allergy diet...and hadn't cheated at the wedding, bachelorette party or rehearsal dinner (to my knowledge).  Well I cheated..majorly at McDonald's.

I hadn't had a cheeseburger, milkshake or their fries in 9 months...So that's exactly what I ordered.  To be honest, I only had 2 sips of my shake and didn't finish my burger.  It was SO sweet and SO salty.  I couldn't handle the grease.

I woke up that night with the WORST stomach ache and have had a tummy ache ALL week and have had horrible migraines all week too...basically, cheating is NOT worth it. 

Sick Sick and still Sick

You guessed it; I was sick this weekend.  It started Thursday morning.  I woke up...my stomach hurt, I was nauseous and then yep, I puked.  By 8 pm that night I had puked 17 times.  Water, ice cubes, food....everything I consumed in efforts of keeping me nourished came back up.  By that night I felt completely dazed, out of it and more dehydrated and in more pain than when it all started. 

I was up ALL night Thursday night puking.  It was awful.  Amanda made me go to the ER Friday morning...which thank God because I was severely dehydrated.  My blood pressure and heart rate were skyrocketed when I got to the hospital (no electrolytes=hearts have problems) and I realized I hadn't peed since Wednesday.  My kidney's were angry and my stomach was still horribly upset.  When they tried to take blood they couldn't get as much as they wanted because of how thick the blood was...it looked like mollasses.  grossss. 

They pumped 3 massive bags of saline into me (which made me pee...20 cc's.  The dr was all panicky) and they gave me anti-nausea medicine.  I decided to go home because even though I still felt like shit, I could take the anti-nausea meds at home and that is what has gotten me to today!  I am still taking those stupid pills every 4ish hours because if I don't i get crazy nauseous.  No fun. 

I missed the hoedown, made my mom have to skip out on going to the houseboat, and have been couped up for 5 days.  Blechh. Thank God I have those prized little pills.  (I bet that's what men say about their ED pills).

COSTA RICA

You heard correctly, I will be traveling abroad to the great land of Costa Rica for Spring Break this week!  I am excited for sun, beach and cocktails (AMEN). 

BEAUTIFUL

On a bit sadder note, I am still feverish, coughing, congested and not feeling well.  I fly out tomorrow morning...let's pray my head does not expload from the combination of internal and external pressure!  I HATE flying with sinus infection issues! 

When I get back in a little over a week, I expect to be tan, refreshed, and to feel MUCH  better.  Plus, once we are back it will mean only 5-6 weeks left of my Undergraduate career...what what?!  So exciting :)

Sick

Today I shall rant...

Not only does my head hurt A LOT because the mail cannot find my medicine, but either my dad or Lisa got me ill.  I am not a happy camper. 

I am leaving for Costa Rica on Saturday....I hate flying with head colds.  It better get better.