Bats, Blood, Basketball, and Needles
What a week.
Early Monday morning, about 3:00, CJ woke up and there was a bat in our bedroom. We stared at it for about 5 minutes before deciding to sleep on the air mattress in the living room. We closed up the room and headed downstairs. I had only slept for a couple hours at that time and the rest of the night went about as well.
Monday I gave blood, as planned. I blogged about it and how I was changing my goal to give blood whenever I can, not just when the blood mobile comes to work.
Monday night was crazy. CJ went after the bat. It was flying around the room. He tried to hit it with a tennis racket, suck it up into the vacuum, capture it with a towel and a bucket, and shoot it with a pellet gun. None of those things worked. The bat flew off and couldn't be found. Well, that riled both of us up. Add that to the non-ideal sleeping conditions and you have two very unhappy, not well rested people.
I was so tired, I called in sick to work just to get some sleep on Tuesday.
By Tuesday night, some people in the know had caught wind of our bat situation and were sending us links about how we needed to contact our doctors and get rabies shots.
Tuesday night CJ went after the bat again. And it was nowhere to be found. He banged around in the room. He flicked the lights on and off. The stupid thing wouldn't come out.
By Wednesday, we were calling our clinics and getting appointments to find out about rabies shots. Wednesday afternoon I went in to the doctor. He told me unequivocally that I had to get the shots. He had called the MN Dept of Health and I needed to do what he said. I mentioned that I gave blood on Monday and he said that I had to call them to not let my blood be used.
Dammit. I didn't want those shots.
At this point we were tired. CJ didn't even look for the bat. It is hot enough that we would be sleeping downstairs anyhow, so we are just going to keep that room locked down until after the weekend and assume it will be dead by then. Or gone. But probably dead.
The first thing I did today was to call the Red Cross to let them know about my blood situation. They put a hold on my blood, so it won't be used. They also entered my situation into their database. I am not allowed to give blood for one year.
So much for that goal. I don't know if I will replace it.
This afternoon, I went in and got the first shots. Two in the thighs. Two in the hips. Two in the butt. One in the arm. The two in the thighs were the only ones that hurt, but my legs are pretty sore right now from them.
I still have 4 more shots to go. One Monday, one Thursday, one the following Thursday and one two Thursdays after that.
A couple good things have happened though. First, Pete and I headed to the gym and shot hoops tonight. I was a little worried that I would be too sore, but it helped my thighs a bit. But now they are super sore, as is my shooting arm. But that's one goal down.
I also went to WeightWatchers on Wednesday. I'm down a total of just over 10 pounds. That's pretty sweet.
Early Monday morning, about 3:00, CJ woke up and there was a bat in our bedroom. We stared at it for about 5 minutes before deciding to sleep on the air mattress in the living room. We closed up the room and headed downstairs. I had only slept for a couple hours at that time and the rest of the night went about as well.
Monday I gave blood, as planned. I blogged about it and how I was changing my goal to give blood whenever I can, not just when the blood mobile comes to work.
Monday night was crazy. CJ went after the bat. It was flying around the room. He tried to hit it with a tennis racket, suck it up into the vacuum, capture it with a towel and a bucket, and shoot it with a pellet gun. None of those things worked. The bat flew off and couldn't be found. Well, that riled both of us up. Add that to the non-ideal sleeping conditions and you have two very unhappy, not well rested people.
I was so tired, I called in sick to work just to get some sleep on Tuesday.
By Tuesday night, some people in the know had caught wind of our bat situation and were sending us links about how we needed to contact our doctors and get rabies shots.
Tuesday night CJ went after the bat again. And it was nowhere to be found. He banged around in the room. He flicked the lights on and off. The stupid thing wouldn't come out.
By Wednesday, we were calling our clinics and getting appointments to find out about rabies shots. Wednesday afternoon I went in to the doctor. He told me unequivocally that I had to get the shots. He had called the MN Dept of Health and I needed to do what he said. I mentioned that I gave blood on Monday and he said that I had to call them to not let my blood be used.
Dammit. I didn't want those shots.
At this point we were tired. CJ didn't even look for the bat. It is hot enough that we would be sleeping downstairs anyhow, so we are just going to keep that room locked down until after the weekend and assume it will be dead by then. Or gone. But probably dead.
The first thing I did today was to call the Red Cross to let them know about my blood situation. They put a hold on my blood, so it won't be used. They also entered my situation into their database. I am not allowed to give blood for one year.
So much for that goal. I don't know if I will replace it.
This afternoon, I went in and got the first shots. Two in the thighs. Two in the hips. Two in the butt. One in the arm. The two in the thighs were the only ones that hurt, but my legs are pretty sore right now from them.
I still have 4 more shots to go. One Monday, one Thursday, one the following Thursday and one two Thursdays after that.
A couple good things have happened though. First, Pete and I headed to the gym and shot hoops tonight. I was a little worried that I would be too sore, but it helped my thighs a bit. But now they are super sore, as is my shooting arm. But that's one goal down.
I also went to WeightWatchers on Wednesday. I'm down a total of just over 10 pounds. That's pretty sweet.
posted by Kassie @ Thursday, August 13, 2009
6 Comments:
At August 13, 2009 7:59 PM ,
Anonymous said...
Help me to understand. No bite but shots anyway? Because of the droppings? Or an airborne thing?
At August 14, 2009 6:58 AM ,
Kassie said...
Because it is impossible to know if we were bit or not, since we were sleeping. Bat bites are tiny and sharp. Often someone bit doesn't feel it if sleeping. These are precautionary.
At August 14, 2009 8:20 AM ,
Pete said...
For those keeping track, Kass, who by her own estimation had not shot a basketball since junior high school prior to last night, has a serious mid-range shot. (I did shut her out in a game of H-O-R-S-E, though.)
At August 14, 2009 8:25 AM ,
Anonymous said...
My sister and her family had a similar experience with a bat this summer as well. They woke up to discover a bat had been in their house. Since they were not able to capture it to test it for rabies, she and her family had to get the full series of rabies shots.
I also work for the Red Cross and want to say many thanks to you for your desire to give blood! Thanks also for blogging about it, as it brings attention to the need for blood.
At August 17, 2009 4:54 PM ,
Jen said...
I think, given the circumstances, you don't have to replace the goal. You technically did fulfill it.
But, wow, that's terrible. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I am definitely not a fan of shots. I suppose it is always better to be safe than sorry, though.
Congrats on the 10 lbs!
At August 18, 2009 5:32 AM ,
mollie said...
Wow! What a week! Congratulations on the 10 lbs!!
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