Hey Baby Where You Been?

I've been sick. Very sick. Turns out it wasn't crushing terror, and it wasn't a little problem that was making me feel bad last week. Turns out I had a kidney infection, one that I kept avoiding getting treatment for until I was about a day away from getting blood poisoning from the infection. I don't know what made me sick-I have a couple of theories. One is that I'd been feeling just, meh, for weeks and at work I remember feeling very dehydrated and not wanting to use the bathroom because it was a hassle. My best guess is that I didn't do myself any favors doing that, I remember having pain but I figured it was just dehydration. I'd thought I was dehydrated for at least two weeks and had been trying to drink as much water and Gatorade as I could get down but it was never enough. By a week ago Thursday I didn't feel too well. By Wednesday I was pretty sure something was pretty wrong with me, but I couldn't afford the doctor visi. By Thursday I couln't eat, couldn't drink and my back hurt so bad I couldn't see straight. On Friday I had the shakes and was hallucinating. I had a 103 degree fever.
Friday was supposed to be my graduation day-but I was in bad shape. There's a picture from the pre-graduation get together (which I attended because I had said I would be there and my parents had driven 8 hours to see me walk across that stage and I was going to walk if I could stand) the picture is of me huddled under e's PhD robe, my head bent down but what is visible of my face it's clear that I am very pale, a friend of mine is looking at me with an expression that is either pity or disgust.
E was about as close as I think she gets to begging me to go to the urgent care or ER.
"I don't trust doctors, I don't go to doctors."
"Neither do I, but you aren't well."
"I'll get better."
"Or you'll die."
I carried that 102 degree fever for three more days.
By the time I got so sick as to not worry about what it would cost if I went to the ER I was pretty sure that I wouldn't get better. The doctors seemed to think that it wouldn't have been much longer before I wasn't conscious anymore. At some point doesn't the human body shut down if the pain becomes too great? I didn't get that far, although I was praying for it.
After a series of IV drugs, two bags of liquid to rehydrate me, pain killers both liquid and pill form and antibiotics I was able to walk. It would take days before I started to feel really good but I felt a lot better.
By that point I'd missed two classes from my week long pass/fail, final class I needed to finish my degree. Luckily for me I was able to get the notes and catch up, so I'm sure I'll pass I made an effort. and that's what seems to be what she wanted.

The rest of the week was spent in Bowling Green with the boys and the girl. I like to think of that group as an encapsulation of a Generation. We're fun like that. I couldn't drink. They drink a lot-I found out what it's going to be like in AA. That's something to look forward to.