last night

i don't know what happened.

last night, we were all at the rehearsal space, along with the lighting designer and a couple of electricians. everyone was busy with their own things, so i scurried off to the bathroom at the loft (the adjacent restaurant bathroom is disgusting. i avoid it when i can). i immediately was hit by intensely painful cramps, but not the monthly variety that i'm used to. i couldn't straighten up, they were so bad. i figured if i laid down for a couple of minutes, they might pass and i could get back to rehearsal, so, in an L-shape, i made my way up the stairs and to my bed, well, half-way on the bed, where laura found me a few minutes later when she came back to the loft for something they needed at rehearsal. i told her what was wrong, and she went back to the space.

a few minutes later, ej arrived. by this time, i had made my way back down the stairs and back to the bathroom because i was feeling nauseous. i had already thrown up and was doubled-over on my knees on the bathroom floor when he walked in. he hurried back to the space for reinforcements. when he returns with javi, i am lying on the bathroom floor (the tiles were so cooling) writhing in pain. javi holds my hand and tells me about when he went through this experience and how it felt as if his body would break in half. that sounded about right. ej wet a towel for my face and it felt so good. eventually, i tried sitting up, and was immediately overcome with nausea. there's something comforting about the bonding experience of throwing up while a friend holds your head over the toilet.

right after that, in walks the emergency medical people. they all wore day-glo orange jumpsuits. for some reason, i was thinking that these were staff for the loft complex. ha! as if rent here includes 24 hour emergency medical care. i was confused. and blind. i wasn't wearing my glasses at this point, although the color of their jumpsuits came through loud and clear. i didn't realize right away that ej had called an ambulance. in broken english, they asked me questions and poked at my stomach, which was tender and painful. one of the visitors was a doctor, which was reassuring. they said i could either come with them to the hospital, or stay at the loft, and they'll give me the number of a different doctor who could come with pain-killing drugs. i want to experience what italy has to offer, but i had to draw the line at going to the hospital. besides, i felt a bit improved since the second round of vomiting. i do remember sitting there, surrounded by ej and javi and laura and four visitors in jumpsuits, all crammed into the bathroom, wishing i had my camera with me, just to document this surreal party. the pain had lessened enough that i was able to stand with their help, and make my way to a chair to sign paperwork. the doctor was very nice. she was surprised that i was born in 1966. she also told me no dairy, no acidic foods, just plain food. there goes my delicious italian coffee, the tasty and sweet tiny tomatoes from sardinia, the brie that i'd just bought and was waiting for me in the fridge...so very much of my diet. i suppose i could do this for a day or two. anything to avoid that pain.

ej tucked me into bed. i was freezing even though i had three wool blankets on me. javi donated one of his to the cause. at one point, i felt a wave of nausea and then i magically felt warm again.

this morning, i am so sore. i feel as if i'd done 600 sit-ups. all the muscles in my torso are aching. i didn't sleep well last night because my muscles hurt just to breathe. i woke up early when i had to go to the bathroom, but as soon as i stood upright, i felt nauseous again. i threw up once and now i feel i've nothing left to give. i'm back in bed right now and have been drinking water. soon, i'll try a bit of food. i think i actually just felt my stomach grumble, but in a good way.

thankfully, rehearsal isn't until 4 today. things are looking up.