Too Little Too Late

ARGH!

Last night I had the worst stomach ache I've ever had in my entire life. It felt as though someone was perpetually stabbing me from front to back, back to front, just below the ribcage.

So, I get to bed at midnight thinking that if I can just fall asleep within the next hour or so, the pain will be gone in the morning and I will be able to get to work.

1 am....1:45am....the pain continues, so severe that I find it hard to even breathe. I get up, peruse the kitchen for something, anything to help the pain subside... I REALLY REALLY did not want to miss work today. Whatever it is I end up finding I chase down with a glass of water, hoping the results would be fast. Boy, was I wrong. All I can keep thinking about is how much I don't want to miss work, I don't want to call in sick. Still, I just end up watching the hours go by, considering a trip to the ER as a patient myself. I've never experienced a pain that lasted as long as this one. Then I think about the things they would do, the tests they would run, and ultimately I know that everything would come back normal, so why bother? Just sleep it out...

3 am...3:30 am... 4... 4:57... At this point, I realize I have to be up in an hour to get ready for work; I've had not a wink of sleep. The pain is still sharp and strong as ever, so I pick up the phone to tell the folks at work I won't be able to come in.

6am....6:30am...6:49 am... This is the last time I remember looking at the clock on my desk. The pain was still present, but apparently it was about to improve because I finally fell asleep.
I woke up at 10:15 this morning, having had about 3 hours of sleep. But I thought, hey, that's enough to get me through the day... The pain was gone, and that was the most important part. I decided to call work and see if they had found anyone to cover for me, and if not, I was ready to go in. They told me to come on down, and I felt great, because that would mean I wasn't missing work! I get dressed, walk the dog, and walk upstairs to receive a phone call informing me that they forgot to tell me they'd already found a replacement that was on her way. Craptastic.


*sigh*... The bad thing about only working two or three times a week is that I can't control when my body gets sick. It couldn't have picked one of the (majority of) days I have off to feel the worst stomach pain I've ever felt. It HAD to do it the night before I had work. Missing one out of a mere two or three days in the week doesn't look very good to your boss...Now I'm left feeling horrible for having missed work today, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it anymore

I will never forgive my stomach for this.