of the geek in the pink

Okay, so I’ve been missing a whole week, and there’s a reason for that. I could simply just tell you, but the writer in me wants to go out for a walk and tell you a longish story about what happened. So here goes!

I was driving to work on Thursday, singing Geek in the Pink along with Jason Mraz at a freakishly high volume. On repeat. So basically I had been singing the same song for over 20 minutes when I felt that something was off. The lyrics were off. I wasn’t singing them right! Which couldn’t be, coz I’m pretty darn good and if you’ve ever tried singing along to Mraz, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Anyway, it took me a few seconds to realize that I was singing gibberish. They weren’t even words, just sounds, and completely out of tune. I looked down at the music system, a little nonplussed and wanting to hit replay, but I could only see words. I couldn’t read them. The letters I’m typing in right now, these same letters looked like Greek to me.

I knew I was having an attack. I had to stop. I didn’t know how. I felt like my brain was going to explode. Within a few seconds, half my face was paralyzed. I somehow managed to look straight at the road, and stop in the corner just in time to watch the road disappear from my left eye. I was partially blind for a few minutes.

A shortish while later it occurred to me that I needed to inform people at office. I still couldn’t see out of my left eye, but managed to somehow dial a number on my last dialed list. Luckily it was one of the girls in my team. I told her she needed to call the boss, but she kept asking “Who?” and I kept saying “Tanu” when I actually meant “Kanu”. I knew I was saying it wrong, but I just couldn’t say it right! Seriously. It was really embarrassing and extremely frustrating. I tried for a while hoping that she would understand, but between my hysteria and garbled speech, I guess she had no choice but to hang up.

A few minutes later she put two and two together and called back to check if I meant Kanu. I was so relieved I started crying. Yes. Tears. Rolling down my left eye onto my paralyzed cheek.

Anyway, I then remembered I needed to get home. So I called the mister and said: Attack. Come. I’m parked on the highway. Blinkers on. It took him half an hour to get there, but when he did, I collapsed into the passenger seat and passed out.

That was Thursday, and my head is still pounding. Between that and work, I haven’t been able to write much.

How have you been all this while?