I do. I hate getting sick. And to make matters worse, I am, essentially, a wienie. The only thing that kept be from being a complete whiny-baby-patient back when I was married was that whenever I would get sick, Kim would vacate the premises.
It was great being married to a Nurse. I remember the first time I got sick after Kim died. I went to the pharmacy section at Walmart and just stood and stared at over the counter medicines for 45 minutes. I didn't have a clue what to get. Kim always hooked me up and told me what I needed to do...and then she'd go stay with her sister for a few days! She was a Nurse and a great caregiver but her own compromised immune system necessitated her hitting the road whenever I'd get sick.
So this past Thursday night I had a bout with food poisoning. I knew almost immediately that's what it was. It could have come from any one of 2 or 3 leftovers I had earlier that day. (Time to clean out the refrigerator!) Anyway, it's been a long time since I've felt that bad. By 3 am I was dispensing liquids from both ends. That's graphic, huh?
By early morning I was kinda scared because I couldn't keep liquid (or medicine!!) down for more than 5 minutes. I knew where that was headed so I texted my team leaders wife (She's a Dr.) and sent out a Facebook plea for help. Within a couple hours I had several people offering to pick-up medicine and bland foods for me.
Realistically, I guess food poisoning would have run it's course within a 24 hour period. Maybe I could have toughed it out. But I'm glad I didn't have to.
This episode made me think though:
1. My landlord is battling cancer. She brought some toast and berries downstairs and told me that she's had the same symptoms for 4 days because of her treatments (see? I'm a wienie!).
2. What about all those people in the world without clean water who battle constantly with diarrhea with virtually no chance to recover. People die from what could so easily be treated.
3. I watched a movie a few weeks ago about Jews that survived in the sewers of Lviv during World War Two. Many times they would have to eat terribly rotten food. What would you do if you were starving and the only food you could eat was rotten and would make you sick? If you don't eat, you're going to die. If you eat, you're going to get sick and might die.
4. I'm thankful for friends here in Ukraine. Medicine isn't sold in grocery stores here. You can't go to Walmart and grab some Imodium and some Bananas. You have to go to a Pharmacy and tell them what you want and you have to go to the market or a grocery store. And not many of my friends have cars so that means they have to get out and deal with public transportation and walking and I do live off the beaten path out in the "burbs".
5. I'm a wienie.
It was great being married to a Nurse. I remember the first time I got sick after Kim died. I went to the pharmacy section at Walmart and just stood and stared at over the counter medicines for 45 minutes. I didn't have a clue what to get. Kim always hooked me up and told me what I needed to do...and then she'd go stay with her sister for a few days! She was a Nurse and a great caregiver but her own compromised immune system necessitated her hitting the road whenever I'd get sick.
So this past Thursday night I had a bout with food poisoning. I knew almost immediately that's what it was. It could have come from any one of 2 or 3 leftovers I had earlier that day. (Time to clean out the refrigerator!) Anyway, it's been a long time since I've felt that bad. By 3 am I was dispensing liquids from both ends. That's graphic, huh?
By early morning I was kinda scared because I couldn't keep liquid (or medicine!!) down for more than 5 minutes. I knew where that was headed so I texted my team leaders wife (She's a Dr.) and sent out a Facebook plea for help. Within a couple hours I had several people offering to pick-up medicine and bland foods for me.
Realistically, I guess food poisoning would have run it's course within a 24 hour period. Maybe I could have toughed it out. But I'm glad I didn't have to.
This episode made me think though:
1. My landlord is battling cancer. She brought some toast and berries downstairs and told me that she's had the same symptoms for 4 days because of her treatments (see? I'm a wienie!).
2. What about all those people in the world without clean water who battle constantly with diarrhea with virtually no chance to recover. People die from what could so easily be treated.
3. I watched a movie a few weeks ago about Jews that survived in the sewers of Lviv during World War Two. Many times they would have to eat terribly rotten food. What would you do if you were starving and the only food you could eat was rotten and would make you sick? If you don't eat, you're going to die. If you eat, you're going to get sick and might die.
4. I'm thankful for friends here in Ukraine. Medicine isn't sold in grocery stores here. You can't go to Walmart and grab some Imodium and some Bananas. You have to go to a Pharmacy and tell them what you want and you have to go to the market or a grocery store. And not many of my friends have cars so that means they have to get out and deal with public transportation and walking and I do live off the beaten path out in the "burbs".
5. I'm a wienie.
2 comments:
I'm so glad you have good care giving friends there, too, Clinton. I so hope you're feeling better! I hate being sick, too, and am also a weenie. We should start a club! - Your perspective about others' health challenges is such a good one to keep in mind when we're tempted to believe we have it really bad. Hugs from St. Louis!
and hugs from Atlanta! Many thanks and much appreciation to your "angels."
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