Stupid stomach flu or how having ailments complicates everything.

I woke up at 430 this morning running to the bathroom in one of the inglorious sprints that have happened to all of us. Eventually I returned to bed and informed my husband I was going nowhere today. And the delicate cat wanted to sit on my stomach.

My husband was concerned but went out the door and I went back to sleep until 830 where I struggled mightily to be functional and eventually called work to inform them I would not be available today. My coworker who answered the phone recommended warm flat ginger ale. That sounded very good. I did try some ginger tea but it just wasn't the same. I normally try to live on the BRAT diet when not feeling well but the tea did not sit in my stomach and I tried a tiny nibble of a banana with the same result.

Between bathroom sprints I came up with two things I needed - warm flat ginger ale and something OTC that I could take to stop my sprints - that hadn't expired in 2008 or 2009 which is what we had in the bathroom. Between dashes, I was returning to bed in my pjs.

With that decision made, the next one was 'can I really go to Walgreen's in my PJs with a fleece over them'? I made the executive decision that I wasn't THAT sick and did manage clean clothes.

Its approximately 200 yards from my front door to Walgreen's. But I drove. I stumbled around the store looking for  the digestive ailments aisle where there are two options - Immodium and Kaopectate. I tried reading the labels but there were all sorts of conflicting things on them

One said not to take without consulting a physician if you are on arthritis medications and the other said not to take if you have liver disease. I don't have liver disease but my liver numbers are closely supervised because of my other health ailments.

I went off to ask the pharmacist where I was told I can't take Kaopectate because it conflicts with my arthritis medication. And Imodium is not that good an idea because of liver issues that I can take it but the least dose possible.

One item down, I went to look for ginger ale. I checked the cold beverage section and it was full of Pepsi Cola products and Coca Cola products and a bunch of weird 'waters'. They didn't have any ginger ale. How can that be? I checked the shelves in the food and beverage section and none there either. I left astonished. Ginger ale is a healthful beverage for upset digestion systems.

Out in the parking lot, I thought where to next? The grocery store would have it but that was a whole mile and I really didn't think I want to deal with a big store. There is a smaller convenience store right up the road that might have it. If not, I was willing to bet that the liquor store had it for mixers.

The convenience store did have it. I grabbed three bottles and went to pay. $5.40 and I had no cash. The little sign said '$7.00 minimum on cards'. Crap. I thought about buying another but the owner had sympathy.

Home at last where I downed my child's portion of Imodium and opened my ginger ale to warm up and go flat during my next nap. After more naps, I am beginning to feel more human. The warm flat ginger ale seems to be staying in place.

I am exhausted. Why isn't my life ever easy?