It's Just Abbey

I am having a tough time blogging this month guys. I have started and restarted this blog a thousand times today. Why? Because my brain is goo. I’ve had a lot going on and also a lot on my mind. As the world takes its final steps into spring everyone is freaking out. Chaos reigns supreme as the sun shines happily. We have all come out of our caves and just started running around beating each other with sandwiches.

The other reason I am just so… blah… is because I have been on a steady over dose of sinus medication since March. The weather is my enemy and its only goal is to watch me suffer.

First, there is my sinus issues. If there is one thing in this would that could knock me to my knees and make me grovel for forgiveness, it is my sinuses. Anytime the weather changes five degrees quickly, up or down, I am in hell. I want you to pinch your nose right between your eyes. Now, I want you to squeeze as hard as you can until it feels like you may break it. While you are doing that, go slam your head into a door a few times. When you feel a little dizzy and light headed, then drape a heavy blanket around your whole head and start your day. That may give you some similar feeling to the agony that is a sinus headache.

I hate getting those headaches because once they are there, you can’t get rid of them! They are there to stay. Sure, you can numb them a bit but what’s that really gonna do? If you swing your head too fast to the left or make any contact with light that pain will be back. It won’t be the sharp, tear jerking kind but the hard, constant and dull knocking that makes your hair hurt.

I handle my sinus issues much like I handle my period. I deal with them and move on. You know who wants to hear about my throbbing headache or my aching uterus? No one, that’s who. Plus, if I complained, commented, or reacted noticeably to each pound or cramp it would be all I would talk about! You wouldn’t just get one blog about this, you would get thousands! The website wouldn’t be It’s Just Abbey anymore. It would be It’s Just… OW! Damnit!... What were we talking about? (dot com…)

Another similarity with my sinuses and my period (okay, this isn’t going to get gross and graphic, I swear.) I refuse to miss work for either. First, I work in a very old fashioned, male oriented facility. The kind of place that there may be days without seeing another female. What does that mean? Any bad mood, complaint about pain, or general inconsistency clearly means I am bleeding like a gutted horse. (Did I promise it wasn’t gonna get gross? Whoops!) I will miss work if either issue is accompanied by throwing up or a fever, but general symptoms I will fight through. Just like I refuse to miss work for a hangover. I did it to myself; I will suffer for my actions. I am a noble creature, watch me be miserable!

And back on the throwing up note. So my other issue with the weather change is that I never know how to dress in this time. In the winter it is freezing outside and warm inside. You know how to dress. Summer it is hot as hell outside and cool(er) inside. You know how to dress. Even fall isn’t really a grey area. Jeans, tshirt jacket. You are fine for whatever. But right now, it could be hot outside and hotter inside! It could look nice and warm out but in reality, there is a freeze warning. Some people have their AC cranked too soon and WAY too high and some people still have their heaters on. You never know what you are going to walk into.

Thus leads me to my next issue. Overheating. I do it all the time. It comes par for the course with me. I would rather be too hot than too cold and I dress that way. Plus with my wild mane of hair it is impossible to not be a little Hot Box like I am. I radiate heat and I thrive on it. Well, I thrive until it starts hurting me.

Story time.

It was the Friday before my marathon last year. I wanted to do an easy run on Friday and rest Saturday. Sunday was the big day after all, I wanted to be prepared but loose. So I went out around 11am from my apartment and ran to Hoppie’s house, about a 4 mile jog. What I didn’t know was that Firday was the day the heat wave was setting in. (This was the end of April. The day I ran my marathon it was in the 80s-90s. Yeah.) I didn’t prepare and just ran on over. No big deal right? WRONG!

I got to the house and we were going to go garage sale hunting. I cleaned up and we headed out. After about an hour of me hiding my dizzy spells and trying to keep hydrated I convinced Hoppie I needed food. We went out and I got a chicken Caesar wrap and an iced tea. I chugged the iced tea down. I had about four glasses thinking it would make me feel better. Nope! Started turning green and Hoppie rushed me out. We hopped into his new car (figure out where this is going yet?) and we headed back to my place. Hoppie was instructing me to take a cold bath and then a nap. I wasn’t looking good.

Then the burping started. Now, I have explained to you my issue with burping before. It just happens. I am used to it. So when I was sitting in the passenger seat dying of heat I felt a burp come up. Hey guess what? Not a burp!

I puked all over Hoppie’s dashboard. Not just a little, “oh I am sick” throw up. Oh no, it was a projectile, 40mph, “I NEED A YOUNG PRIEST AND AN OLD PRIEST” kind of vomit. Hoppie slammed on the brakes and I proceeded to ralf up the 14 cups of iced tea and half a chicken Caesar wrap on to the road.

We drove home as I wallowed in self pity, horror and shame (also at least one cup of regurgitated iced tea) all Hoppie could say was, “It is fine. It is just a car, let’s get you home. Also, babe? You should probably chew your food better.”

So there it is internet. This is why I am so frazzled. I am in a frequent state of head pain and trying like hell not to destroy Hoppie’s car again. It is a tough few months but so far so good. Lesson learned though. I check the weather a thousand times before I go out running anymore and just take Advil after I brush my teeth in the morning, just in case. Do I chew my food any better? I’ll let you know the next time my stomach betrays me inside a sports car.