Yeah, that was how we spent two hours of our Thanksgiving evening. Before I go into any sort of detail, I should say that everyone is fine and no body parts were harmed!
Our trip began by driving 12 hours in the non-stop rain from Indy to Cortland, NY on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. We and off listened to Harry Potter and took bathroom and food breaks. We got in around 11pm and headed to bed shortly thereafter. Wednesday was when all the trouble began. Shortly after playing a round of putt-putt and lunch, I started to feel like my allergies were getting the best of me. I got some pregnancy-safe meds hoping they would take my sniffles and headache away. Wednesday night was a little rough as I was having a hard time breathing and falling to sleep. Even with a dose of Tylenol PM I couldn't seem to get comfortable breathing-wise.
On Thanksgiving day, we headed to the park, and I was really hoping the fresh air would help clear me up. It was nice, but it didn't help me at all! We at lunch/dinner around 3 and that just seemed to make matters worse. I had a full belly and climbing the stairs seemed like the biggest chore! It finally got bad enough that Al called the OB back home and decided it was best to hit the ER. Boy, was I excited...NOT!
We get there, wait a bit, take my vitals, and stick me in a room. The nurse or someone listened to my lungs and heard wheezing. The doctor came in and said, it could be one thing or it could be another. We're going to run some blood tests, give you a breathing treatment, hook you up to an EKG, x-ray your chest, ultrasound your legs, and give you a CT scan. At this point, I start to freak out. I'm thinking, I'm pregnant and I don't want to put the baby through all these tests and I don't want to go through all these tests. So, after lots of talking about options, we decide to wait to see what the blood work says as that will determine which route to take. The doctor was sure it would come back positive for the possibility of a blood clot because I was prego. If it was negative, then it was most likely a breathing issue and not a blood clot issue.
During this time, there were six people that came in to do different things to me. A very nice man gave me the breathing treatment; a very rude lady that wasn't sure how to ask if I was pregnant or fat hooked me up to the EKG; a lady named Gloria and dressed in street clothes checked the baby's heart rate; a nurse drew my blood; a youngin' took all my insurance information; and a lady came in to talk to me all about the x-ray that I wasn't going to happen. All these people were in addition to the 2 triage nurses I had when I first arrived, the resident that saw me shortly after, and the doc. Really? Is it necessary to have all those different people? Freaking crazy town! No wonder ERs are a mess. Too many hands in the honey pot.
Overall, the blood tests came back negative for a blood clot, so the doc was fine sending me home with an inhaler. With the baby, a full stomach and a very bad cold, it was the perfect storm for pressure on my lungs causing breathing problems. I still have a bit of the cold left, but it's nothing like it was. And I have only had to use the inhaler about five times and none since I've been back in Indy. So, all things considered, I'm good and baby's good! Now, if only this cold would leave me alone!
Happy Easy Breathing!
--Am
PS: How was your Thanksgiving? Hopefully less eventful!
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
How To Vacation in Upstate New York
The last weekend in July, Al and I traveled to Cortland, NY to visit his mom and stepdad. Katherine took a job up there and has been living there since March. It's a cute, little town that is not very different from parts of Indiana. In fact, a lot of the countryside looks like southern Indiana with more hills. When most people hear NY, they don't think of countryside, but instead think of noise and busyness. Cortland is quite the opposite. It's quiet, old-school, a little run-down in parts, and adorable.
We arrived in Syracuse on Friday afternoon and stopped off to have lunch at a fine NY eatery: Burger King. We were really hungry and I really, really wanted a chicken sandwich! :) After lunch we headed to Cortland, where I proceeded to take a nap until dinner. Traveling is tiring! We had dinner at an Italian restaurant (of which there are many). I had scallops fra diavolo, which I would normally love, but the scallops didn't taste as I had hoped. The sauce was different than I expected, but it was a good different.
On Saturday, we headed towards Cooperstown, baseball capital of the world. It was a bit of a drive out there (a little over 2 hours) and we chose a bad weekend to go. It was induction weekend, so it was packed to the gills. We spent some time walking down, then back up main street, before stopping in at the farmer's market. Here, we were able to get a ton of veggies and desserts to be consumed that evening. Before leaving we stopped off and had some true to NY pizza. Later that evening we had steak, potatoes, fresh veggies, and tomatoes for dinner. We had strawberry rhubarb pie and blueberry crumb pie for dessert while we played Conga (a Cranium spin-off). Before that though, we had to make playdough, as all the clay in the house was crystallized! Al and his mom made it, while Brent and I watched. We ended with some fabulous light green playdough.
On Sunday we attended church and met a lot of the folks we'd been hearing about all weekend. It's a very old-style church with nothing but friendly people. We spent the afternoon at Treman (pronounced Tremain) State Park in Ithaca hiking the gorgeous gorges. We were hoping to wade a little in Buttermilk Falls, but it was dry. However, we were very glad to have stumbled upon Treman. It was positively breathtaking at times. We stopped in at Wegmans for snacks and headed back home for dinner at The Hollywood. Some of the best stuffed shells ever!
Monday was a quick trip to the nature conservatory, a pop in at the Bling Store, and lunch at Pita Gourmet. Then it was off to the Syracuse airport to find out that our plane was severely delayed and we would miss our connecting flight. We had the choice to fly out that night and hope to get a hotel in Washington Dulles or to stay at the Best Western and take a 5:40 am flight to Philly then Indy. We chose the BW, which might not have been the best, but it worked. Instead of being home at midnight, we were home at 11am. Needless to say I fell asleep at 7 that night. Again traveling is tiring!!
All in all, it was a great trip! It was funny seeing the folks and playing with the pups. Milo sure does miss Alex. It's very cute to watch him follow him around the house. Lots of thanks to Katherine and Brent for opening their home to us. We really enjoyed our time spent in Cortland!!
Happy Visiting!
--Am
We arrived in Syracuse on Friday afternoon and stopped off to have lunch at a fine NY eatery: Burger King. We were really hungry and I really, really wanted a chicken sandwich! :) After lunch we headed to Cortland, where I proceeded to take a nap until dinner. Traveling is tiring! We had dinner at an Italian restaurant (of which there are many). I had scallops fra diavolo, which I would normally love, but the scallops didn't taste as I had hoped. The sauce was different than I expected, but it was a good different.
On Saturday, we headed towards Cooperstown, baseball capital of the world. It was a bit of a drive out there (a little over 2 hours) and we chose a bad weekend to go. It was induction weekend, so it was packed to the gills. We spent some time walking down, then back up main street, before stopping in at the farmer's market. Here, we were able to get a ton of veggies and desserts to be consumed that evening. Before leaving we stopped off and had some true to NY pizza. Later that evening we had steak, potatoes, fresh veggies, and tomatoes for dinner. We had strawberry rhubarb pie and blueberry crumb pie for dessert while we played Conga (a Cranium spin-off). Before that though, we had to make playdough, as all the clay in the house was crystallized! Al and his mom made it, while Brent and I watched. We ended with some fabulous light green playdough.
On Sunday we attended church and met a lot of the folks we'd been hearing about all weekend. It's a very old-style church with nothing but friendly people. We spent the afternoon at Treman (pronounced Tremain) State Park in Ithaca hiking the gorgeous gorges. We were hoping to wade a little in Buttermilk Falls, but it was dry. However, we were very glad to have stumbled upon Treman. It was positively breathtaking at times. We stopped in at Wegmans for snacks and headed back home for dinner at The Hollywood. Some of the best stuffed shells ever!
Monday was a quick trip to the nature conservatory, a pop in at the Bling Store, and lunch at Pita Gourmet. Then it was off to the Syracuse airport to find out that our plane was severely delayed and we would miss our connecting flight. We had the choice to fly out that night and hope to get a hotel in Washington Dulles or to stay at the Best Western and take a 5:40 am flight to Philly then Indy. We chose the BW, which might not have been the best, but it worked. Instead of being home at midnight, we were home at 11am. Needless to say I fell asleep at 7 that night. Again traveling is tiring!!
All in all, it was a great trip! It was funny seeing the folks and playing with the pups. Milo sure does miss Alex. It's very cute to watch him follow him around the house. Lots of thanks to Katherine and Brent for opening their home to us. We really enjoyed our time spent in Cortland!!
Happy Visiting!
--Am
Sunday, June 26, 2011
How To Rock & Remember
On Memorial Day weekend, I headed up to Michigan City, Indiana for a weekend getaway. Note I said IN because I first thought it was in Michigan. Anyway, I headed up there with one of my good friends, Sarah, to meet our college crew. Back in the day, there were eight of us that bonded our sophomore year at Manchester: Alyssa, Nicole, Mary, Carey, Sarah, Jaymie, Hannah, and me. Mind you, I had met almost everyone freshman year, but didn't really KNOW any of them. Boy, was I in for it! :)
This trip was our first get together in a long, long time. Of course we've seen each other throughout the years at weddings and whatnot, but haven't had a visit like this since we were in school. Unfortunately, Jaymie and Hannah couldn't join, but we did have some husbands there to make up for it.
We rented a three story cottage, of which we had access to the two lower levels. We didn't do much over the weekend but reminisce, drink and play games. It was a rainy Saturday so there wasn't much else to do. However, I'm not sure it would have mattered if the weather were better. We're comfortable just chillin' and chattin'. On Monday or Sunday, we went to the packed beach for some sun. On a day that it wasn't so sunny, we strolled the beach and I started collecting rocks that I could use to create something to remember this trip by. I found all sorts of shapes and colors, even one that looked like the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus! Here's what I came up with:
Which one do you like better? I'm thinking I like the more contained one, but can't decide. Either way, I have something to help me remember some of the best times EVER! I love my girls!
Happy remembering!
--Am
This trip was our first get together in a long, long time. Of course we've seen each other throughout the years at weddings and whatnot, but haven't had a visit like this since we were in school. Unfortunately, Jaymie and Hannah couldn't join, but we did have some husbands there to make up for it.
We rented a three story cottage, of which we had access to the two lower levels. We didn't do much over the weekend but reminisce, drink and play games. It was a rainy Saturday so there wasn't much else to do. However, I'm not sure it would have mattered if the weather were better. We're comfortable just chillin' and chattin'. On Monday or Sunday, we went to the packed beach for some sun. On a day that it wasn't so sunny, we strolled the beach and I started collecting rocks that I could use to create something to remember this trip by. I found all sorts of shapes and colors, even one that looked like the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus! Here's what I came up with:
sandcastle (not of my own doing, although i kinda wish i would have)
the various rocks - the long one in the middle left is the virgin mary
more spread out in the oyster dish
bunched together in the aqua dish
Happy remembering!
--Am
Saturday, January 15, 2011
How To Get Lost in Dayton, OH with a Garmin
As some of you may know, Al and I ventured to Dayton, OH today. Thankfully, we have such a caring, trustworthy friend to watch over our babies while we're away (thanks Brie!). But first you might ask, "why would you travel to Dayton?" Oh, we wanted to get away and figured Dayton had a lot to offer...Uhh No! The reality of it is that Al has his practical (hands-on) exam for his paramedic license tomorrow.
We left around noon and stopped for Wendy's before we hit the road. Boy, do I love those Spicy Chicken sandwiches! And the new fries are delish, but I only had a few (stole from Al) as I opted for the healthier side salad. Back on the road, I started to test Al. I would name a procedure (V-Tach or Medical Assessment or Duel Lumen something or rather) and he would have to go through all the steps. We were so caught up in reviewing that we almost missed the exciting crossing over into Ohio! Oh, but no, we got to see it. A little bit more and we were in Dayton. What a drabulous city! I've been here many times, but must have been so hyped up for guard that I never realized how blah it is.
Anyway, we were following the Garmin to our hotel. We had been on interstate the whole time, so when our lady voice tells us to exit at Exit 51, we must have got confused. And it's easy to get confused when the exit isn't marked except by a tiny sign to the left of the ramp. No sign above it or before to warn you that it's ahead, that's too easy. So, we had to get off at the next exit and get back on the interstate to exit at Exit 51. From there, it was a hop, skip, and a jump to the hotel.
We arrive, check in, search for places to eat, study (Al), play stupid games on the computer (Am), and look up directions. It was between Mexican and Thai for dinner. Al chose Mexican, I chose Thai, but decided to go with Mexican as he was the one with the big day tomorrow and would need his stomach to be settled. Plus, we went to Wendy's for lunch because of me, so it's a fair trade! Anyway, on our way to dinner, we wanted to drive the route to the testing site to know how long it would take and whatnot. It's about 6 minutes away. Then it's off to Elsa's.
As we're walking into Elsa's, we notice the "Bad Juan." Of course, we picked a restaurant that my friend Chris has talked about many time before. He's had a couple of experiences with the Bad Juan! :) Dinner on my end was yummy, Al's was so-so. Note to self: Avocado and ranch blended together is a tasty combination.
Now starts the drive back to the hotel. First, we miss the exit on the right to get onto 35. We cross over the interstate and turn around in Rallys. Before we cross over the interstate, the lady voice is telling us to turn right. What the heck? I thought we needed to go left?! Confused now, we drive over the interstate and get on the original ramp. Apparently, you could have gotten onto the interstate from either side. The only times I remember seeing anything like that are when there's a divider in the middle and you can't perform lefthand turns. Anyway, we're going on 35 and it tells us to get onto 75. That was easy. The first exit is ours: Exit 51. We don't miss it this time. But we do miss the fact that if you stay all the way to the left, it puts you right back to interstate 75. Of course, so now we are back on the interstate. I start cracking up. Not sure why, but it's hilarious. The next exit isn't until after we get back on 35. We take the exit that the lady voice tells us and follow her directions. Too bad the Garmin didn't have road closures in it. We hit a road block and can't get over the river. Of course!!
So, we start driving back the way we came and are completely mad at the lady voice. We don't turn where she says until we hit some road (Veterans maybe?). We start driving down this road and it's sort of creepy. It's along the river and looks like there could be many a homeless people living there. It also looks very deserted. Ahhhh, then we see the bridge with the terrible lighting underneath it (looks like something from the 80s that used to be cool). Woohoo! We made it back to Edwin C Moses (street on which the hotel sits)! Hopefully, I'll have better luck tomorrow when I'm driving around alone. :)
Good luck to Al! Safe travels to all!
--Am
We left around noon and stopped for Wendy's before we hit the road. Boy, do I love those Spicy Chicken sandwiches! And the new fries are delish, but I only had a few (stole from Al) as I opted for the healthier side salad. Back on the road, I started to test Al. I would name a procedure (V-Tach or Medical Assessment or Duel Lumen something or rather) and he would have to go through all the steps. We were so caught up in reviewing that we almost missed the exciting crossing over into Ohio! Oh, but no, we got to see it. A little bit more and we were in Dayton. What a drabulous city! I've been here many times, but must have been so hyped up for guard that I never realized how blah it is.
Anyway, we were following the Garmin to our hotel. We had been on interstate the whole time, so when our lady voice tells us to exit at Exit 51, we must have got confused. And it's easy to get confused when the exit isn't marked except by a tiny sign to the left of the ramp. No sign above it or before to warn you that it's ahead, that's too easy. So, we had to get off at the next exit and get back on the interstate to exit at Exit 51. From there, it was a hop, skip, and a jump to the hotel.
We arrive, check in, search for places to eat, study (Al), play stupid games on the computer (Am), and look up directions. It was between Mexican and Thai for dinner. Al chose Mexican, I chose Thai, but decided to go with Mexican as he was the one with the big day tomorrow and would need his stomach to be settled. Plus, we went to Wendy's for lunch because of me, so it's a fair trade! Anyway, on our way to dinner, we wanted to drive the route to the testing site to know how long it would take and whatnot. It's about 6 minutes away. Then it's off to Elsa's.
As we're walking into Elsa's, we notice the "Bad Juan." Of course, we picked a restaurant that my friend Chris has talked about many time before. He's had a couple of experiences with the Bad Juan! :) Dinner on my end was yummy, Al's was so-so. Note to self: Avocado and ranch blended together is a tasty combination.
Now starts the drive back to the hotel. First, we miss the exit on the right to get onto 35. We cross over the interstate and turn around in Rallys. Before we cross over the interstate, the lady voice is telling us to turn right. What the heck? I thought we needed to go left?! Confused now, we drive over the interstate and get on the original ramp. Apparently, you could have gotten onto the interstate from either side. The only times I remember seeing anything like that are when there's a divider in the middle and you can't perform lefthand turns. Anyway, we're going on 35 and it tells us to get onto 75. That was easy. The first exit is ours: Exit 51. We don't miss it this time. But we do miss the fact that if you stay all the way to the left, it puts you right back to interstate 75. Of course, so now we are back on the interstate. I start cracking up. Not sure why, but it's hilarious. The next exit isn't until after we get back on 35. We take the exit that the lady voice tells us and follow her directions. Too bad the Garmin didn't have road closures in it. We hit a road block and can't get over the river. Of course!!
So, we start driving back the way we came and are completely mad at the lady voice. We don't turn where she says until we hit some road (Veterans maybe?). We start driving down this road and it's sort of creepy. It's along the river and looks like there could be many a homeless people living there. It also looks very deserted. Ahhhh, then we see the bridge with the terrible lighting underneath it (looks like something from the 80s that used to be cool). Woohoo! We made it back to Edwin C Moses (street on which the hotel sits)! Hopefully, I'll have better luck tomorrow when I'm driving around alone. :)
Good luck to Al! Safe travels to all!
--Am
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