Day 94: That’ll Teach Me

What a beautiful fall day! I mean, if you like dark and gloomy weather — it was just gorgeous!

I went for a run even though today should be a rest day. But I won’t really be able to run again till Friday, so I went. The trail was decorated for autumn. Here’s my view:

Here’s me with a fall backdrop:

And one more. Lake Wilderness was as smooth as glass. (Yep, I stopped three times to take pictures!)

I was about four miles into the run, thinking I was almost done, when it occurred to me that I hadn’t checked my Hal Higdon schedule and maybe I’m supposed to be doing 4.5 miles today. So, I passed where I originally planned to turn and went a little farther, taking the same end route, which is up a hill, from my 7-mile run yesterday. Running and pushing a jogging stroller up an incline is painful, but it didn’t even compare to what I was feeling last night.

After seven miles yesterday, I came home, stretched, showered, and then left with the family to go out to a birthday lunch at a Mexican restaurant.

I LOVE Mexican food. Maybe it’s from growing up in California. Mr. T jokes that I must really be from Mexico. I really don’t know how you couldn’t like that country’s fare, though. It’s got cheese and rice and refried beans and ground beef and tortillas. What’s better than that? Oh yeah, sour cream and guacamole!

There were so many choices on the menu. I couldn’t decide until I saw it was possible to order a small plate of the appetizer nachos, which combined just about EVERYTHING that is good about Mexican food. They didn’t even have olives on them. Hallelujah! I HATE it when restaurants want to put olives on nachos…or anything for that matter. Ruins the food, I tell you.

Anyway, I felt I deserved to eat whatever I wanted after running seven miles. It was sort of a reward.

The server set the plate of chips in front of me and they were the best nachos I’ve ever seen at a restaurant (normally, I prefer making my own). The portion, which was not huge but actually a decent size for two people, was completely covered with gobs of real melted cheese, seasoned ground beef and refried beans. Chopped tomatoes were sprinkled everywhere, and about a quarter cup of sour cream and guacamole (each!) topped it off…like TWO giant cherries on a nacho sundae. I couldn’t even see the tortilla chips!

I was so excited to dig in. After a while, I needed a fork. I believe that is where I made a major mistake. I should have stopped eating. I was full. But it was just so good.

The thing is, though, I was so full at lunch that come dinnertime, I was still so full. And, I had this nagging burning behind my ribs. I told this to Mr. T as I made dinner for T Junior.

He was making his own meal because he was actually hungry. “Did you take something?”

“No, what should I take?”

“Tums.”

I took two chalky tablets. Then I wondered if maybe I actually was hungry. Maybe that’s why I felt yucky. After all, I hadn’t eaten since before noon and it was almost 7.

I made a sandwich — deli sliced chicken, tomatoes from Mr. T’s garden, light mayo, mustard and three slices of Colby Jack on whole wheat. I hurried and ate it while T Junior shoveled his mac and cheese in his mouth by the handful.

After bathing my toddler, reading him books and putting him in his bed, I came back downstairs. The burning was worse. I took a Pepcid pill, made some lemon tea and sat on the couch for Amazing Race. I also had to finish blogging. But I was uncomfortable. I couldn’t find a position that made my chest and the spot under my right shoulder stop hurting.

My entire core was on fire. I put a pillow behind my back. I shifted around on the couch. I sprawled on the floor. I tried to stretch. I got on my knees and rested my head on the seat of the sofa. “This hurts as bad as labor,” I whined to Mr. T.

He chuckled because, he said, he knew how I felt (the heartburn, not the labor).

At 9, Mr. T went for a walk and I continued to suffer. I, somehow, finished my blog post then I tried walking around, I tried laying on the floor, I tried sitting. I took some liquid Pepto with a spoon. I blew out the candle that I normally love the smell of. The scent of grilled chicken (from Mr. T’s dinner) was still hanging in the air, as well, and the combination of the two smells was making me feel worse. I stuck my head out into the cold night but that didn’t help, so I returned to the living room. I had to shut off the TV because it was making it worse.

It hurt to breathe. I tried deep breaths, which seemed to help a little at first, but then it was all I could do. I started to feel dizzy. I wanted to throw up. I thought I was going to pass out. I was freezing. I covered myself with a quilt and kneeled on the floor with my head on the couch. I thought about the nachos and had to push them from my mind. I’m going to die. I crawled to my phone and texted Mr. T: please cme hm.

He didn’t get it, but luckily he was back less than 10 minutes later. I started crying and hyperventilating. The pain was searing. I was going to burn from the inside out.

Mr. T started asking me questions. “Where does it hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

I kept my eyes closed and got my breathing under control. “All over; they can’t do anything for heartburn,” I spit out between deep, dizzying breaths. “And, I don’t want to get T Junior up.”

Mr. T sorted the mail he’d brought home. “Do you want some water?”

“Maybe.”

He brought me some in a mug. The first sip made me choke because I sucked it down my lungs. I timed the next drink and it the cool liquid washed over the fire. I burped a little. My chest still burned, but the rest of me was cold. I sat, hunched with the quilt over my shoulders, on the edge of the couch.

“Maybe it’s gas,” said Mr. T. “I’m just concerned that not even the Pepcid is working, especially for someone who never takes it.”

I gulped down more water. Suddenly, I let out a big burp. “Oh my god, it’s gone,” I said. “Just like that. That was weird.” I didn’t dare move. I stayed where I was for another 20 minutes.

This morning, I was scared to eat. But I did and I was fine. I learned my lesson, though, and now I have some more foods to add to my broccoli list.