I was going to write a post about how it’s Friday! And this weekend is going to be awesome! Because I’m going bridesmaid dress shopping! And having a wonderful Mexican dinner to celebrate the engagement of a friend! And we’re meeting a photographer, the photographer who could be ‘the one’!
Except, um, I may die before any of that happens.
I’m at work but only because it is absolutely necessary that I be here. Granted, I’m hunched over my desk, clutching my stomach and unable to do much else (except type, of course, because hi, I love you guys) but still, I’m here.
My stomach hasn’t felt right all week. I’ve been eating very light so as not to make it angry because when my stomach gets angry, it’s not a pretty sight.
Last night, I met up with one of my bridesmaids for dinner and because we hadn’t seen each other in months - months! - we decided to go all out. And by “all out” I mean we had french fries. As an appetizer. For example.
Big mistake.
The minute the check came, I felt something wasn’t right. I started to get the shaky, nauseous feeling that tends to come on right before my stomach decides to go a few violent rounds with my body. 12 hours later, something still isn’t right.
I won’t go into the gory details but I’ve never experienced this before - not even with my long and storied history of a sensitive tummy - and, judging by my symptoms, I should probably go to the hospital. Or at least to a doctor.
There’s only one problem: hi, I’m Clink and I work freelance and I don’t have health insurance.
The good news is that it has gotten a bit better. I mean, I’m no longer crying or writhing on the floor in pain, so that’s a good thing.
M has called me every half an hour since I got to work to make sure I’m ok. I’m half expecting him to show up, throw me over his shoulder and carry me - kicking and screaming - to a doctor.
This morning he said, “you’d better not do ANY googling of your symptoms, Clink. I know you let the internet pick what dress you’re going to wear to a wedding but that is not the same as letting the internet diagnose you.”
Of course I googled. And I’m pretty certain I have dysentary. Or cancer. Or some rare stomach disease that has get to be discovered and will probably kill me in the next few hours.
Ok, I really can’t sit upright any longer. Back to my hunched over position. If this is it, my friends, well…I’ll miss you. It’s been real.
Update: From Peter, which made me laugh out loud (and then, um, clutch my tummy in despair because laughing makes the tummy very upset):
Also, I called my uncle, the doctor. Left a message. As embarassing as it will be to discuss the symptoms with him, if he tells me to get my ass to an MD, then I will do it. And I have y’all to thank for even prompting me to call him because little known fact: I’m stubborn.
Clink, I just found you! You’re not allowed to die!
Or it could be the stomach bug everyone is getting.
Feel better honey.
Wouldn’t it be cool to have dysentery though? wouldn’t you feel like you’re in Oregon Trail?
Bridesmaid dress shopping! If that isn’t a cure for dysentery, I don’t know what is. But maybe be careful around that Mexican food.
Woman, suck it up and get thee to a doctor. Better safe than sorry. I don’t think I can get through a work day without your blog and it would be tragic if your new facebook account were to be completely neglected upon your death, so please go see a doctor. Do it for me, mmkay?
Feel better!
Go. To. The. Doctor. You’re no good to your job if you die. And also, if you die, we won’t be able to talk all day and then I will die. So go. Like KLC said, do it for me.
Clink! Get your but to a free clinic! There have got to be some! When I didn’t have insurance I went in extreme emergencies (which, by the way, THIS IS ONE) and they helped me for a minimal charge. GO!!! And feel better
Girl, get your butt to the doctor STAT. I really hope it’s not any of those things.
Let us know how it goes (of course you will) and have a great weekend dress shopping.
Awww. Feel better!
If you haven’t seen it yet, last night’s episode of “The Office” will help the healing. GOLD.
(”dysentary” made me giggle. Malaria is my go-to hypochondriacal disease of choice.)
Even though I’m the last person to go the doctor’s, I’m totally throwing stones in a glass house. If it’s real bad, you should probably go. And also, whenever something is ailing me, I say I have the rickets. Just because it sounds funny. Either that, or cancer, which is really not funny. But I’m a tad dramatic.
Feel better
i had a similar experience this summer when i had some severe stress… it messed up my stomach pretty bad and 2 weeks later i decided to go to the Dr (since i hadn’t been able to eat right, sit up, breathe, you know…). It turned out to cause some sort of serious stomach issues and they prescribed me some strong acid pills… helped so much. only problem is that i still have lingering problems from it and now have to take an acid reducer every morning so that i don’t have to worry about anything going wrong.
definitely get this checked out! you don’t want to mess with your stomach, you know how powerful it is over the rest of your body!
hope you feel better
You need to be strong for bridesmaid shopping, trust me. Do you at least have a doctor you can call to find out if this is an emergency? Feel better!
GO TO A DOCTOR!!!! I have touchy tummy issues too and, though I had insurance, kept putting off getting things checked out. When I finally went to a gastro guy, we did an endoscopy and found out I had an “oddly aggressive for your age” case of acid reflux and ulcers. He said it was totally treatable and manageable…now. If had waited for a couple of years, I would have made myself quite the candidate for esophageal cancer. When he wanted to do a colonoscopy next, I broke it off (stick things up my what? umm, no!) but that’s besides the point.
GET THEE TO A DOCTOR, CLINK!
Molly means business. When I blogged that I had cancelled a scheduled biopsy, she demanded in the comment section that I go. And I went. And, yes, having to pay $200-300 out of pocket for the doctor sucks. But it’s better than suffering. (OK, off my soapbox. Really, feel better!)
i mimic what klc and molls said. go. to. the. doctor. you know, i’m sure your parents wouldn’t mind spending a couple bucks on you to help ya out- hell, it’d be cheaper than the funeral. plus, i can speak on this as i knwo what you’re going through. i have a history of stomach issues, and really when it comes to your health. you cannot let this one slide, clink. seriously.
oh, and i’d die….without you….. (yes, i was singing rent to you.)
Go. Now. Doctor.
Doctor. doctor. doctor! Your wedding will be a lot less fun if you die from stomach pains. And M will then be forced to a life of moping around without you- and smelling your sweaters to remember you. That’s not a pretty sight, you had better see an MD fast.
I am absolutely not telling you *not* to go to the doctor. I will repeat and rephrase: going to the doctor? never going to kill you. Not going? Might.
Having said all that, I have horrible awful stomach problems. If I ate spicy and/or greasy food, and too much of it, and maybe haven’t been eating the way I should for a week or so, you would find me laying on my bathroom floor with cold rags on my forehead and the back of my neck. I would be sweaty and pale, with a intermittent mumble of “just let me die, please”. I would suffer for about 4 hours, doing UNMENTIONABLE things, then eat some shredded wheat or some oatmeal and be fine.
You won’t tell us what your symptoms are, and I don’t blame you, so I will say: if there is no blood involved, see if you can choke down something fiber-y, like shredded wheat or oatmeal. Maybe without milk, even. It might work.
Sorry lovey. I would rather have two broken legs than tummy trouble.
Oh dear…..I want you to go to a doctor. This sounds horrible! There is no dying, not on a Friday before you have Mexican food and go do wedding things!
You must go to the doctor, if you think somethings wrong and not normal and that you should go to the doc then listen to yourself!! You after all know your body best. I hope you feel better hun! Sounds aweful, and so not fun
Saltines are always awesome to help calm mean tummies. and curling up in the fetal position.
I do that, too. After a few minutes of surfing, I’m always convinced I’m dying. It’s been said seventeen times but do see a doctor. You still have to get married. And I still have to see your wedding pictures because hello, I am madly in smit with your wedding plans.
The update makes me feel better. Good thing you have a doctor in the family. And yeah, I bet you could find a free clinic. You live in New York, for God’s sake. I know there are several free clinics in DC for uninsured people, and I imagine that are quite a few of the same in NYC.
DON’T DIE! Please.
I have heard of the stomach bug causing similar symptoms, and it seems to always be prevanlent, no matter what time of the year. it hits everyone different.
i for myself can relate cuz i suffer pretty severely from IBS and acid reflex, so fight of nauseous feelings a lot. Usually these things do take care of themselves, but I think it is really smart yo8u at least called your doctor.
I pray you feel better soon!!!
acid reFLEX??? try reflux. sorry.
Oh, there are VERY few things worse than a terrible stomach ailment… I hope you hear back from Dr. Uncle shortly and he can give you a little medical assistance so you can focus on your plans for an awesome weekend!
DON’T DIIIIIEEEEE. you cannot. there are too many of us here that would miss you terribly.
feel better! get lots of R&R this weekend and let M wait on you hand and food. =P
um…of course i meant “hand and FOOT” not “food.”
Haha! Oh no! I totally diagnose myself off the internets too… I’ve beaten death HUNDREDS of times!
I hope you feel better Clink! If the 27 comments above haven’t persuaded you than maybe my comment will just push you over the edge.
Go. To. The. Doctor.
I had an Older Friend (she’s in her 60’s–I’m 33)who tells everyone they were having Gall Bladder problems when they had stomach pains….In Honor of the Crazy Old Lady, You are having Gall Bladder problems!!!
I love, love, love your blog! So, don’t drop dead yet…You have way too many future post I MUST read!
I hope you feel better sweetie. Sorry, rough day. No stomach pain wittiness to offer. heart.
hope you feel better soon darlin’! i’ll be thinking of you
and i would def go to the doctor if you can swing an arm and a leg for payment. just to be safe.
oh no! go to the doctor!!!!
Well. My doctor’s office still hasn’t told me if I have mono or not and plays the Bee Gees and “Sexy/Back.” Go, if for nothing else than something to write about in your blog.
Also. I didn’t go to the doctor once and I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. See? Doctors are a pain in the ass, but sometimes they know what they’re doing.
I hope you start feeling better soon! Stomach problems are the absolute worst.
For god’s sake, if you can afford all those shoes and dresses, you can afford health insurance. This is insanity!
Ah, the update. Okay. That’s an improvement.
I still think you need to look into health insurance. It’s important, especially if you keep not seeing doctors when you’re really sick. Okay? Okay.
Hope you feel better!
So, what did your uncle say? Do we have to wait until Monday for an update? If you die, how will you write an update? Details, details. Feel better SOON!!
Doctor Shmoctor. Who needs ‘em.
Are you feeling better yet?
Also? How sweet is M? Calling you constantly. I hope you’re feeling better.
see a doc POST HASTE.
if only to be able to stand up straight in the gorgeous dress for the wedding!
I am so sorry you’re feelig so icky - I hope you’re feling better by the time you read this and that your Uncle has been able to shed a little light on things — if not please get your ass to the doctor!