This has been one of the strangest weeks I’ve had for a while, with lots of stuff going on, and by Wednesday night, I was firmly convinced Sunday to Wednesday had actually lasted about five weeks, it seemed to have gone on for so long.
Started with a wrenched back on Sunday, when I was avoiding the sharp tiles on the laundry wall (topper sticks out and on the corner creates a sharp point… they are diabolical if you scratch your arm on them.) In my efforts to avoid a scratch as I was swinging by too close, I performed some type of athletic/twist/tuck/roll maneuver in which my left hip went one way, and my spine went the other. The shooting pain down my left leg and the kind-of crunchy sensation in my hip and spine did not bode well for my week.
Had a fairly ordinary night (topped off by an upset stomach, which I put down to taking pain meds) and by Monday morning the back had worked its way up to a stiff and aching neck and a hip and spine refusing to cooperate, which meant I was out of the driving seat to take son #3 to TAFE for the first couple of days of the week. Fortunately, I have two car driving sons who were able to take up the slack… one of whom was on holidays because it was the week of his 21st birthday…
… until Son #1 came down with gastro on Tuesday morning…
… by which time I’d figured out that was what I had, too… and promptly discovered I had passed on to the DH and the beloved daughter.
In the meantime, Son #2 (with a lead-lined stomach) and Son #3 (ditto) have cruised through the week, eating what they like, in copious amounts, while the rest of us have had an up and down week of alternating between dry crackers, upgrading to toast, trying real food and repeating for most of the week.
And of course, Son #2 was celebrating his 21st Birthday on Wednesday… and we had booked to go to Chatters (Chinese) for dinner. At one stage I wasn’t certain who, exactly, was going to make it to his birthday celebration, but we did put on a presentable group, with only Son #1 having to stay home and the rest of us figuring well what the hell, he only turns 21 once.
It didn’t go well. Dinner itself was wonderful… but the rest of the week has seen the DH and I take a giant step back to the beginning of this little odyssey of gastro. But on the bright side, Son #2 had a fabulous birthday, and by Wednesday, my back was MUCH better.
Which leads into the grand finale of the week, in which the owners of the house we are in wanted to do an inspection today. I’d spent weeks working myself up into a state of anxiety over their visit, my OCD absolutely out of control as I ‘prepared’ for their visit, and making sure everything was perfect. Not that we are particularly messy, or dirty, or treat the house like a hovel, or anything like that… but the prospect of the owners inspecting the house sent me over the top in an ever increasing frenzy of ‘it has to be perfect’. Not only have I driven myself to distraction, but I also drove the DH and the Gang of Four to within an inch of retaining their own sanity, I think.
At least, that’s how it was until about halfway through this ‘seems like it’s been five weeks long’ week.
I’ve discovered something new about myself, which could be helpful, if it wasn’t for the fact that I have to be sick. Apparently, my stress levels reach record low levels of ‘I don’t give a damn’, when I’ve got gastro. Which would be helpful, if I could find a way of having the same effect without acquiring a stomach bug to achieve it.
D.S. Williams 
What a week! I don’t envy you these past 7 days DS!
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