Journal Ethelred Unraed's Journal: Ethelred defies death. Film at 11. (Merry Christmas!) 31

About a week ago, I went to our parish hall to meet with our rector in order to do the final planning of our Nine Lessons and Carols service. His son, who had a case of stomach flu, wandered in the rectory office in his jammies and wandered off again.

Fast forward a few days later. Rector was feeling so poorly that another parish member and I had to set the altar for him to do the Eucharistic prayer and blessing; he managed to stay on his feet long enough to do the blessing, and we distributed the bread and wine so that he didn't have to physically touch it (and possibly infect others).

Day later, he felt fine. His wife said she felt iffy a day, but that was it. Their two sons, though, were barfing like crazy for a couple days and had diarrhea.

A couple days later, the Confessor barfed up his breakfast, then a couple more times after that, but he was over it pretty quickly. BoE didn't get anything, aside from feeling poorly for a day.

Fast forward to day before yesterday. Day started off normally -- the House of Unraed sallied forth into the wilds of Hannover on a daring expedition to secure some last-minute Christmas presents. In the evening, on the way back home, yours truly felt progressively worse, but nothing serious.

Later that evening, at about 9 pm and after my parents went to their hotel, Gloriana started barfing like crazy, so badly that she was vomiting bile. BoE calls the children's hospital to tell them she's coming over. Meanwhile, I started barfing as well, but I've had stomach flu many times before (as well as fighting Crohn's for years) and figured I'd get over it. BoE left for the hospital with Gloriana. I called my mom to have her come back in case I need help with the Confessor, who's asleep.

By the time she got to our apartment, I was barely able to crawl out of bed -- literally. I crawled to the door and opened it for my mom. I was almost continually barfing, and while I tried to drink some water or Gatorade to keep from dehydrating, I kept barfing it right back up; same for the Pepto I was trying to take. I also had diarrhea and had to struggle just to make it to the bathroom without fainting. I called the emergency doctor's number, who promised to come by ASAP. "ASAP" apparently meant "when I get around to it after my donut break", as we waited over an hour while my condition progressively worsened.

At one point my mom was somewhere else in the apartment, and I tried to get to the bathroom on my own -- and blacked out. My mom found me, got me onto the toilet, where I blacked out again. She managed to get me back into bed and frantically called an ambulance -- which considering her lack of German and their lack of English was interesting, but they already had my name and address on their display, so they knew where to come. They arrived in a few minutes, and took me to the hospital down the street.

Spent the night in the ICU, half-conscious, still barfing and still with diarrhea. They hooked me up on IV electrolytes and whatnot, and eventually I stabilized.

In the meantime the in-laws came to pick up the Confessor, since BoE had to stay in the children's hospital with Gloriana because of breastfeeding.

The ICU transferred me to another clinic, where I spent last night (and my roommate there was, ah, something else -- but that's fodder for another JE) and managed only catnaps; this morning they did an ultrasound and blood tests, where they told me that I'd very nearly suffered kidney failure. (Had we waited for the doctor to show up -- he did show up an hour later, pissed off because he'd made a trip for nothing -- I may well have died.)

They finally decided I was improving enough that they could let me go home...just in time to celebrate Gloriana's first and the Confessor's second Christmas. Just finished putting up the tree.

Thus while I still feel wobbly as hell, and a bit queasy, I must say that this Christmas is one that I will especially value -- as the one I nearly missed.

Merry Christmas to all, stay safe and may the guy whose birthday we symbolically celebrate day after tomorrow bless you all.