Hell Week

"Hell Week". Most commonly known as the inaugural week among some fraternities in which the new members (pledges) are rigorously abused and tortured as an endurance test. If the pledges make it through Hell Week, then they can become full-fledged fraternity members -- thank you Urban Dictionary.com. For example this may, or may not happen during Homecoming Week, which coincidentally was this week at Clemson. We played Maryland, killed them, and it was amazing. This is not the "type" of Hell Week that I had, however, I did feel like it was a test of endurance, patience, and honestly a reminder that we are only given as much as we can handle (supposedly). Mine was much more of a "real world" experience, and no - not 7 strangers picked to live in a house and have their lives taped, even though once upon a time in my life that was a very close possibility....almost too close. We'll save that MTV story for another day.  Hell Week started on Monday (well kind of). I got a text from my landlord on Sunday afternoon saying that she was coming by on Monday with the gas guy to check out my heater since the winter months were upon us. Great, a proactive approach. I love it. I told her to please let herself in, and let him check it out. Monday roles around, and come 4ish I get a call from her letting me know that the old as the hills heater in my 1940's apartment needs to be, and has been, immediately shut down. And oh yea, there appears to be a crack in it, and you have a carbon monoxide leak. UMMMMMM...excuse me? Isn't that what you hear about on Dateline NBC of families going to sleep and just not waking up? Great...lets rewind here.

Old Stinky

For the past 2-3 weeks I had turned the heat on occasionally when it got chilly (super. Just soakin it in). I hadn't smelled anything, as I guess with a CO2 leak I wouldn't, and as you might know, I've had a weird medical history anyway (click here to refresh your memory), so what I'm about to share seemed like just another hurdle, but now as confirmed by both of my doctors, girlfriend here was cutting it pretty close. The week before Halloween I got an absurd amount of migraines. I'm talking knock me to the floor, sick to my stomach type of pain, and they came out of no where. Because they are so random I try to stick em out and take the meds I have been prescribed to help. One night in particular I went to a friends to get some lessons on my new iPhone 5 (upgraded from a Blackberry what whatttt!). I noted to him that my eye was doing the 'weird blinding thing', I felt my fingers tingling, and told him that I was probably about to get a migraine. I took some Tylenol he had and we carried on. A few minutes later nothing I was saying was making sense. My entire sense of speech was gone. It was so bizarre. I knew what I wanted to say, but just couldn't say it. Like I could talk but it was jumbled. It's hard to explain, but trust me when I say its incredibly frustrating and makes you panic when you realize its happening. He asked what I was trying to say a few times, then I just gave up and patiently we just sat there until I headed home and hopped straight in bed. I called the doctor ASAP the next morning and you would have thought by how fast they got me in there that half my face was drooping off. They completely changed up the approach to my migraines medicine wise. This happened again the Sunday I got back from the mountains, and again baffled my doctors. Once finding out about the leak, I called them back and sure enough, it wasn't but a few minutes to get a response back to hear that I was extremely lucky that I caught this when I did, and should be thankful that I got out and "got some fresh air" at my friends' houses those nights, as well as been working away from home. We'll never know how long it had been leaking or what could have been, but I'm considering myself one lucky lady.

 Tuesday they came to measure for the unit. Wednesday was installation day, which turned into all day Thursday, too. You see I have plenty of luck, but its not always the good kind. The space for the new unit was too small and every piece seemed to have the need to be custom built. There was black dust everywhere. Really wonderful. I got out Wednesday night and saw the new 007 movie. Bad ass, go see it.  When I got out I had 4 missed calls from people in my building all informing me that the men who worked on my heat turned off EVERYONE's. Thus making me probably the most hated tenant in building 4 on the 35 degree November night. I tired calling everyone back but of course it was too late. Throw on some bad family friend news about a brain tumor, and you've got one hell of a hump day.


Thursday - the brightest light of the week. No joke. Seriously the best day of my week. I got more done in the morning at work then I bet most had a in a week and that night I was going to see The Who at the BILO Center with a great group of people. It was highly anticipated. The heater was finally done. It worked. Everyone's gas was turned back on. This is like when the fraternity pledge finally learns that he may actually get to not only go the football game, but not have to drive, and actually get to drink a beer before, during, and after the game, possibly take a nap, and never see another float pomp again. I was ecstatic. Friday was almost just as great. I learned that an electrical issue was also getting fixed, and it had been. My mom was coming to town, she made me long awaited/desired curtains for my bedroom, and my house was getting back to normal.

 Spoke too soon. We went to the Clemson game, came back, I went out for a few more beers at a local bar with some friends down the street, and then came back and snuggled in with my mom. What seemed to be a blink or 2 later (around 3am) I get awoken by a phone call from the neighbor below me. "Lacey, its Adam, I just got up to get a glass of water and there is water pouring into my ceiling". FML. My water heater, this time electric, burst. I had to call a plumber - - or shall I say 20+ and finally one amazing soul named Steven answered. He came out and shut off the water so dear Adam didn't have his own personal waterfall in the kitchen. By the time the Panthers lost, the Ravens won, and my neighbors were over me completely, I had a brand new set of utilities.
When it rains, it certainly pours. In my case this past week, literally. I'd like to think the next week will be easier than the last. It can always be worse. Cross your fingers for me that the CO2 issue is truly what caused the "episodes" of the flare ups recently; I have a follow up this week. And say a prayer for our friend Jeff Fisher.  Jeff found out that his brain tumor is back, and once again declared stage 4. He is unbelievable, and has defied the odds time and time again. In his own words..."I have been dangling from a string at the end of my rope for two years. It is not the time to fall. It is the time to create more rope." Lets get Jeff more rope.



Jeff, my brother Billy, and his friend James, and Stephen