day 5 Virginia trip 2008

Today was bad. So bad. And so sad. We left in hopes of going to Roanoke via 60 from Buena Vista. We went up the mountain and were almost to the sign where we take the picture at every year. (pictures from 2006) It's been great to see Adam in front of this sign so often. And since we didn't go last November, I was counting on these pictures for the kids to have.When we were very close a few hundred feet, my head felt like it was going to explode. My shoulders were tight. It was a weird feeling. Not dizzy, just unexplainably weird. I told John to get off the mountain NOW. I wasn't sure what was wrong, but somewhere in my brain I remembered that elevation can affect blood pressure. My chest was also hurting like it had been off and on the last couple of months. After we got back down (maybe 5 minutes) we stopped at Grammy's doctor's office. I went in and asked the nurse the about elevation. She said there is something about elevation sickness and blood pressure and if I had any more problems to get to the ER. The local ER is in Lexington which is great if you live here. But if you don't, you feel like you aren't near anything that could possibly help you. And for me, it made me panic.

So we went to Grammy's and I layed down on her couch (ewww) and John took the van and the little boys to the Ford dealership down the road. Why? Because as we were coming down the mountain something was weird with the brakes. It turns out our brakes over heated and the rotors warped and needed to be re??? so that they worked properly. As if things weren't already crazy enough! I was just ready to be home instantly in Texas.

Once John came back we fed the kids a picnic lunch we had packed. I was feeling a bit better, but still just wanted to go home. My chest still hurt. A lot. This is Grammy's view out of her door that she sits and looks thru all the time. We always get a little turned around, but if we pegged it right, this is Elephant Mountain, the mountain that does not love me this year.

We had dinner at the house and cooked the roast we had bought. Ultimately we decided that we would head home tomorrow because I still don't feel well. Actually, not feeling well isn't quite the truth. I cried myself to sleep wondering if I would wake up the next morning. Scary. I had John and Adam crying before the night was through. I was so upset to leave our vacation, completely paid for, but we couldn't tell if the elevation was getting me or not. All I wanted to do was lay down, sleep was calling me. And it was only 8:30. Decision made.