Driving to Work with a Tummy Ache
It’s the last week of September 2020. I was up last night with a stomachache I had assumed was due to my eating a scrumptious grilled cheese made from 11-year-old cheddar on marble rye. So good, totally worth it.
I woke up this morning and it is still dark. Just another sign of Fall’s approaching darkness. I sigh to myself I need to go through my storage boxes for warmer clothes. There is nothing like a nice hot shower to get you moving. I had already packed a week’s worth of lunches, so I have no worries as I am heading out the door. I get in the car and realize I had forgotten my yogurt. Undaunted, I hop back out of my car and grab it out of the fridge, jump back in the car and head on down the road.
I get about a quarter of the way there and my stomach makes that sound… you know like rolling thunder and does a flip. Nausea washes over me, then panic.
“What should I do?” I ask myself out loud as I cross past the giant eagles on the Market Street bridge. If this was two years ago, I’d just suck it up. But this is 2020 and what if? What if this isn’t from the sandwich? What if I have Covid and I’m going to kill everyone at work? I start getting upset, not helping my tummy at all.
I dial my boss, which I never do at 7 a.m. She accepts call offs via cell as a rule. But this isn’t normal, I think I’ll just have a little potty issue to deal with as delicately as possible but what if it is not?
“Angela? What’s going on?” she asks in a funny voice almost hoping I’m not going to tell her I tested positive or something. She had a big scare in the beginning of the month and we both know its bound to happen as we work at a College.
“Kate, I feel sick to my stomach. I ate something Friday by accident I was allergic to but used Benadryl and had felt better Saturday. Then late Sunday I had the most wonderful grilled cheese and ended up waking up in the middle of the night nauseated and having unmentionable issues.” Honestly, I know I’m over explaining but I want to cry because the anxiety even having a sniffles causes you these days.
“I follow, stay home. I’m already on my way there, its okay.” She says, trying to reassure me its fine.
“I’ll call you later. Thank you.” We both hang up.
Now my brain turns to my boyfriend. I just left him sleeping in bed after giving him a big hug and a kiss and half-jokingly telling him I didn’t want to go. I didn’t tell him about my 2:30 a.m. potty issue because he made me that sandwich and I didn’t want him to worry. Now I want to text him before I get there so he expects me. My Mom used to do that when she was coming home unexpectedly so its not jarring when you walk in. I always respected that thought.
This revelation makes my stomach jump again… what if we really do have it and we die? Our life is so happy and calm. We just moved in together. What would I ever do without him? I’m not ready to leave this world yet either. What would happen to my kids? They’re grown but we are all so close. I’ll never see my grandkids grow up…
I pull in the driveway and decide this is all ridiculous. I am still having issues from the allergic reaction and I ate a super greasy grilled cheese. Calm down. I turn the car off and go in the house. He’s in the shower getting ready for work so I do the dishes I didn’t notice last night and realize my stomach is like a rock. Tea and toast will fix this I assure myself. It does not.
Later this afternoon I got my period. I called off work because of PMS? I really hope next year is like blue skies and beaches because fuck this stress. I miss my Zen life.
