Yesterday I woke up with a fever and a nasty sore throat. I came home early from work (God bless my courageous boss), slept for a few hours, decided I should call a doctor, found one that had Saturday hours AND took my crappy insurance, and rolled out of bed at 6:30 this morning after a terrible night's sleep to wait for an hour and a half in the waiting room stuck watching a 72-hour Michael Landon marathon, which struck me as supremely unfair.
The nurse who took me back to the exam room asked why I'd come in, and I reeled off a list of my symptoms (sore throat, swollen painful glands, fever, joint and muscle aches, cold extremities, headache), and when she returned with a swab to do the strep test she said, "You gave that description really well. Are you a medical student?"
I didn't say, "No, I'm a hypochondriac and I watch House." Instead I smiled and said, "No...but thanks. I check a lot of online websites." And gave myself bonus points for sounding educated while running a fever of 101.5 before ten in the morning.
I paid through the nose for the medication (half of which the doctor's office gave me in samples; I'm grateful), bought myself necessary BRAT diet goodies like bananas, applesauce, and ginger ale, and returned home to find that my fever had spiked to 103.5, at which I panicked and called the doctor's office. They kindly gave me a schedule for Tylenol doses, which has helped dramatically.
It's really the only downside of living alone -- when you're sick no one knows, and no one is there to brush your nasty unwashed hair off your sweaty sickie forehead and tell you, Drink this; everything's going to be all right.
So I called my mom and Leigh Ann and spent the rest of the day watching Buffy and Angel. It's not like having family closeby, but it'll do.
And I didn't once hallucinate. Which I consider to be a good thing.
2 comments:
Poor Sarah! Getting sick and then getting anonymous oddballs for your comments--grr. At least it's Labor Day on Monday...do rest well & I'll be praying for you.
Let us know if you can make it down for homecoming. For some of us year-and-half-old grads, it could make the difference between going or staying home and doing more of the same. Take care!
I second all that. Homecoming isn't really my kind of scene, but I'll gladly subject myself if I can drag enough long-lost friends with me.
I must say though, we disagree on the subject of getting sick and living alone. I much prefer to get sick where my mom can't fuss over me and where I can freely employ venerable home remedies, like vodka.
But do feel better soon. Long weekends are a gift from God.
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