Happy Birthday...or something like that!

A two-day birthday celebration has left me feeling incredibly thankful to be safe, healthy and alive!! :)

On Friday, I worked the day of my birthday. Did the usual, heading up to the upper-west side to teach, came back to the office in the afternoon. One of my students I tutor came, brining me cake, and a gift! Another student from my Wednesday class came to bring me some mango chicken that he made for me! While I was tutoring, flowers came for me from Jules (stinker!). They were so beautiful!

From work I came home to grab my bag and headed to meet the girls at Grand Central. We were headed upstate to spend the night with the CYFM, Cap Corps Volunteers. Crys and Michelle had spent Thursday to Friday up there with their senior girls on retreat. They came back with the students, but we went back up to spend the night at their house. It was so wonderful!! They decorated their house for my birthday and Brian made dinner which was so delicious! They invited the friars over (sharing what I am doing next year -discerning applying in the fall- gave me a chance to verbalize it, and every time I did, it came with a little more ease and excitement!), and we had tacos and cake! Then a couple of their cadet friends from West Point came over, and we all played some games, we had a blast!! Thanks to all that contributed to that effort!

Saturday we slept in and made pancakes for breakfast. Then we went bowling, which I LOVED!!!! And we made it to the train station just in time to get back to the city for dinner with the sisters! Everything up until this point was very enjoyable, and I am so grateful to everyone for making my birthday so wonderful! But then I ruined it!

While we were sitting at Andrea's, a restaurant near our house, we were just finishing dinner and they were about to bring out the cake, and I started to have a hard time breathing! I told those around me how strange it was, but I was having a hard time. I made the through the cake, and decided that I was going out for some fresh air because it wasn't getting better. As SOON as I stood up, I had to sit down, I got really dizzy, and didn't have any balance. (this is where I don't remember) Michelle tried to help me up to go out, but I went down! She guided me to the floor. The waiter tried to help me up (I do remember look at his face and putting my head on his shoulder!). Crystal called 911 and they said that I should be laying on the floor. Sr. James started to touch my face and neck with her cold hands, and as I was 'coming to,' she told me to keep my eyes open. They brought water and ice, and as I was gaining consciousness, the paramedics came. They wheeled me out to the ambulance (yes, it went that far), and they checked my vitals and did an EKG...

Okay, the part that I'm leaving out is that I did have a half of a glass of wine...a half! That is probably the only logical thing that could have caused what happened, but it was a half of a glass! You all know that alcohol consumption is NOT my thing, so ....it could have been an allergic reaction...I also was super tired...coming to the meal, I had a fairly empty stomach, but at like 4 pieces of bread before having the wine...it just doesn't make sense!

...everything checked out, but the guy was like "I recommend that you go to the hospital."

Uh uh. If I weren't feeling okay, I would have gone, but from the time they showed up I was feeling better...my chest wasn't tight anymore, and all my vitals were good. I know it was a little risky, but I was NOT about to get ER bills just to sit there and them to tell me I was ok! So I walked home, arm-in-arm with Sr. Toni and Michelle. Made it back to the house where the sisters (oh, how I LOVE them!), we all waiting to make sure I was okay. Crys and Michelle, resisting my orders to go out, stayed in and tended to me (saints). They got me into bed and talked to me for a bit and then each went to bed...it was only 9:45pm! Crys kept her door open for me (thanks, girl!), and I slept ....and slept...and slept! I stayed low key today, didn't do anything i had planned to do accept went to mass at 5pm an dinner with Michelle, then headed to Sacred Heart! It was a slow day of making sure that I was still feeling okay, and I am so grateful to have the community that I have!!

I loved all of the time and care that went into making my birthday special! It's normally not that big of a deal, but I do have to admit that if anyone was going to make a big deal about it, they sure did it in a way that was very "Five," and I LOVED and appreciated every minute of it....until I passed out!

Thanks everyone!!!!! :)