Sympathy exhaustion.

Earlier this week, I learned that my niece Summer (seen above, with my Dad) has had a rough couple of weeks. First, she got hit by a deer while driving the car she just bought herself (literally, the deer hit her). Then, she had to go to the hospital with one health problem and, while there, found out she has mono!

I had mono myself for about 6 months when I was a junior in college. My main symptom was exhaustion. I probably slept 20 hours a day during the first couple of months. My roommate thought I was dying. The college doctors, who were often a bit incompetent, could not figure out what I had and told me it was psychosomatic. Being me, I just tried to go to school and work as if nothing was wrong. Summer is a lot like me, so I hear she's taking a similar approach.

Since I found out Summer has mono, I seem to have develeoped some kind of "sympathy exhaustion." All week, I've skipped workouts (including ones I like) just to get more sleep. I even skipped my long run this morning. I'm guessing that this is also related to my gung-ho attitude last month and to the huge amount of work I had due this week (see previous post). Still, I like to think that I'm just being a good aunt and setting an example for Summer- get some rest, kid!

On the subject of sympathy, I heard that Summer was very concerned for the well-being of the deer that hit her car. So, I told her I would share my own story of being hit by a deer:

From 2002-2004, I worked as a home-based counselor on the Eastern Shore. I drove, at all hours, down many rural roads filled with deer. I saw them all the time and I was always worried about hitting one. It didn't actually happen until one of my last weeks of work in '04. I was driving home from a family's house at night, when several deer ran out into the road. One of them was coming straight for me. I swerved to miss him, but he changed directions and jumped right into my car. He kind of bounced off and ran off across a field, clearly injured. I pulled over, tried to calm down, and checked myself and the car. Both fine. Still, I was worried about the deer. I knew he was hurt, but probably still alive.

For a few minutes, I actually considered walking across the massive field into the woods and looking for the deer. Then, I realized that (a) an injured deer might not be happy to see me, and (b) even if I found it, I had no way of getting it back to the car to take it somewhere. I remembered a Humane Society office nearby, so I called 411 and got the number. I called and got an answering machine saying they were closed, and people with after-hours emergencies should call the police. So I did. The conversation went something like this:

Police: Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office, how can I help you?

Alicia: (in heavy-breathing, panic voice) I just hit a deer and I think its hurt!

Police: M'am, are you hurt?

Alicia: I'm fine and my car is fine, but I think this deer is injured.

Police: Are you sure you're okay? Do you need us to come help you?

Alicia: I'm fine, but the deer ran out into the woods and I think its hurt. Someone needs to come look for it. I called the Humane Society and they said to call you.

Police: And you're sure you don't need any help?

Alicia: I'm fine, I just need someone to come look for this deer. Will you come and look for it?

Police: Okay, we'll come look for the deer. You get home safely.

I'm pretty sure I heard him laughing as I hung up the phone.

I drove home, and it wasn't until I got there that I realized police probably don't run off into the woods looking for injured deer. So, the police officer was probably lying, but I actually appreciated the gesture. Without that reassurance, this would probably be a blog post about how I broke my leg running off into the woods at night trying to save a deer.

Get well soon, Summer!