I took the day off from work because I wanted to go to an assembly that my son's class was running. It was also the day of the school Halloween party, an event that I volunteer at every year. I got in the shower in the morning, feeling a little tired but not horribly so. As I stood under the spray, I got dizzy. Like never have I been so dizzy in all my life dizzy. I leaned against the shower wall, grasping the bar and thought, I really need to go lay down on the bed for a minute and then I'll be okay. The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and I was lying on the floor of the shower with the water spraying down on me, shampoo and body wash bottles scattered around me. Did I just pass out? Nah, can't be. I must have just thought about going to the bed and couldn't make it so I laid on the floor.
I got out of the shower weakly and stumbled to the bed, laying there for a few minutes. But time has a way of ticking along even when you don't want it to so I got up and woke the kids. While we were eating breakfast, I thought I had a bit of a headache and when I put my hand on my forehead, it made me wince a little. I went to look at myself in the bathroom mirror. There was a large egg on my forehead and my cheekbone was swollen and bruised. Apparently I had passed out in the shower and my face broke my fall. I also have bruises on my hip and high on my shoulder. Fainting gently and ladylike is obviously not a talent I possess. I would more liken it to a sack of potatoes falling off a shelf.
This is a lesson to me. I don't have to be superwoman, it's not necessary to get everything done every single day. The six mile walk in the pre-dawn morning can be skipped; laundry can remain in the basket for a day; declining any more volunteer requests is fine; feeding the kids PB&J one evening is perfectly acceptable; and turning off my never ending fountain of worry is okay. I thank God that I didn't hit my head any harder when I fell. My shower has benches in it and I could have easily split my head open on one of those. My guardian angel must have caught me.
I'll be taking better care of myself now because I know by doing that, I'll be taking better care of my kids as well. So the weekend consists of watching a movie, baking cookies and going to a pumpkin carving party. No running the roads and staying up late for us, a much needed break is here and my kids are delighted to just hang for a while.
That's scary! Thank goodness you are OK and were not badly hurt. Yes, your body is telling you to slow down. I've had some similar instances of being SO incredibly tired that I literally could not think straight. It's a wonder I didn't fall asleep at the wheel or leave a pot burning or some other dangerous thing. I have learned in the last few months to give myself a freakin' break and not worry about stuff not getting done. I have relegated laundry (some of it anyway) to my sons. I am not cooking every night. Pizza has all the food groups and with a coupon - it's a cheap meal. I have also given up on my idea that I have to plan oh-so-fun stuff every weekend or my kids will be missing out on the wonderful teen years they should have had if their dad hadn't bailed on us. Instead, I am becoming OK with Friday nights at home with a movie and popcorn. I have also gotten a little lax with the cleaning...not too much because I am a neat freak...but dust bunnies (tiny ones) have actually appeared in a few corners and it's OK!!! Our minds and bodies have been thru a terrible trauma. Emotional trauma affects us physically...and we have to give our bodies time to heal!!
ReplyDeletethat is so scary...glad you are ok and you are right that could have ended way more badly.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that you are ok! Hope it was a good, relaxing weekend!
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