Not the Three Day Weekend I Was Expecting

This is how I envisioned my three day holiday weekend:

Friday: Half day at work, dinner with Mike and a nice glass of wine
Saturday: 25 miler to Valley Forge, relax, shopping
Sunday: Sleep in, relax, read, 10 miler in the evening
Monday: Hill workout with Tough Mudder friends, BBQ

This is how my weekend actually went:

Friday: Half day at work, emergency room
Saturday: Hospital
Sunday: Hospital
Monday: Recover

Basically, the poison ivy I contracted last week on my bike ride to work (I didn't realize it was poison ivy until two days later) turned into some kind of nasty skin infection. By the time I got home from work on Friday my arm was swelling so badly that I began to lose sensation in my fingers and I could no longer bend at the elbow. NOT COOL! So we skipped dinner and headed to the ER where horrible thoughts of arm amputation and dead nerves flashed through my head (I can be a little dramatic sometimes).

Two trips to the ER in one month. I must be making up for lost time

I thought maybe they'd give me something to make the swelling go away and send me home, but instead I found myself admitted and in my own room by bedtime Friday night. The swelling became so bad on Saturday that I would tip over if I stood up. I must have had 5-10 pounds of fluid in my right arm.

By Saturday evening the swelling began to subside, but they kept me overnight again just in case. Finally on Sunday afternoon I was liberated and they sent me home with a hefty dose of antibiotics and steroids. After nearly 48 hours in that room I was about to lose my mind. All I wanted to do was shower and get the hell outside.

As soon as I found something to wear that would cover up my hideous monster arm we grabbed the dogs and headed to Forbidden Drive. Cool, rainy weather was exactly was I needed.  Hello nature, nice to see you!

By Monday I was feeling well enough to run again (which the doc okay'd). Mike joined me for 6 miles mid-day, but by evening I was raring to go again and did another 4 on my own. There's nothing like two days in a hospital room to make you want to run forever!

Things I learned this weekend:

- I have the best husband ever. Without any complaints he drove back and forth between the hospital to hang out with me and to our house to take care of the dogs. I am so lucky to have him.
- I have rock star blood pressure. Must be all of the running.
- Poison ivy is the most disgusting skin condition I think someone could ever have. Ew ew ew ew ew.