My childhood/teenage asthma often led to an annual bout of
bronchitis that kept me out of school for two weeks, mostly because I milked it
for all it was worth. Nobody could lower her head in agony, or sabotage a
thermometer reading, like me.
“But you’re not wheezing anymore,” someone would insist.
“Purely due to your catching me at a good time,” I answered weakly but firmly, fluttering my eyes. “All I need is one more day. What does it matter if I miss a Friday?”
“But you’re not wheezing anymore,” someone would insist.
“Purely due to your catching me at a good time,” I answered weakly but firmly, fluttering my eyes. “All I need is one more day. What does it matter if I miss a Friday?”
Friday was usually a big day on Days of Our Lives. After two weeks of catching it promptly at its
air time, not far from my beloved grandmother, I dreaded having to slum back to
settling for the recorded version.
In college, I caught one virus, which didn’t last more than
72 hours. In my early twenties, I once lost my voice for another 72 hours or so.
Sickness- and symptoms-wise, that was pretty much it for the rest of my
twenties. Aside from dental visits, I rarely bothered to book check-ups because
I didn’t need them. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started having “symptoms”
that turned out to be a thyroid-related condition I didn’t take too seriously.
I went through a major health scare last month. Something much
worse than a thyroid-related problem. I netted about 35 hours of sleep in 3 weeks, just
based on all the anxiety. My symptoms’ worst-case scenario was that bad. Some
words of advice - never obsessively Google your weird symptoms and come to an
airtight self-diagnosis. The hyper-Googling will quickly convince you it’s the
worst-case scenario; and the specialist you frantically schedule an appointment
with will most likely look at you like you’re nuts. I didn’t mind that latter bit.
Last week, all the test results (have you ever had a 7:30
a.m. trans-vaginal ultrasound, before a long day of work?) for the worst-case
scenario came back negative. The great kind of negative. The only tests that
came back positive (the not-great kind of positive) were re: my thyroid levels,
which I’d thought I had under control via nutrition and exercise, but now it’s
back to the endocrinologist I go, for the first time in years. Never in my life
have I had so many doctor’s appointments in a one-month interval.
“All I want for Christmas is my health,” I said, 3 weeks ago.
“Nothing more than a continuation of this annoying but manageable Hashimoto's disease.”
And I got it! Until the grand dame of a head cold I came
down with, earlier today.
Fluttering your eyes... I bet it worked like a charm, too. I remember fluttering my eyes, but that was because I couldn't believe it actually said C-. A 7:30 a.m. trans-vaginal ultrasound, before a long day of work? No, never before a long day of work. Doesn't sound like something to look forward to. Ever had a tube pushed down your throat straight into your lungs at 8:00 a.m.? I guess we both need a drink. Who's buying?
ReplyDeleteSanta, restore her health. She asked you nicely.
I can relate - I've been ill too these past two weeks. It's been terrible especially since my illness stems from allergies and I currently live in a country that does not help those allergies at all!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I wish I could've skipped school for Days of Our Lives ;)
Oh, Roving Retorter, I am so sorry to hear of your health problems. May 2015 bring all good things, including the return of excellent health.
ReplyDelete