So here I am sitting up at 4am. Feeling like a zombie. I have had fleeting sleep tonight, to say the least. Every time I just start to doze off, I am attacked by a coughing fit or lack of breathing entirely. My nose is a pumped up red blob on my face from all the blowing, and I've drunk over a litre of water since I came to bed. So when the coughing finally subsided and I started dozing again, my darn bladder started shouting at me. REALLY?! I dragged myself out of bed to relieve the bladder and restock the water bottles, when I nearly collapsed from the fever. Damnit, being sick sucks. So here I am, sitting up in bed at 4am with a wet cloth on my forehead, blanket on my chest, and a fan blowing at my overheated feet. No longer drowsy, but rather wide awake! Oh yeah, and starting to get a little hungry.
Went to the doctor today. Correction, I dragged my sorry butt, outta bed, into the first clothes I found, which happened to be a stained light grey top that matched my complexion and a blue pair of baggies, and into the car. My obliging mother driving my to the doctor's.
Oh Gosh, the doc must think I either have a severe case of hypochondria or am really a ditzy blond underneath. First I took my mom there last week, then she took me there today. Today I say to the doc "I know the flu is not that bad yet, but I know some people who got this and landed in hospital with pneumonia", he understandingly nods and says that's why we're going to nip it in the bud. He asks if I'm allergic to anything and my first reaction (my only reaction to any doctor's allergies query) is "I'm allergic to injections and needles." The next question doc asks is am I on any vitamins or supplements? I proceed to rattle off a list including vitamin c, zinc, magnesium, echincea, vitamin b6, evening primrose oil & a generic multivitamin. The look the doc gave me was with wide eyes and I swear he was thinking 'this chic is definitely crazy'.
Oh Gosh, the doc must think I either have a severe case of hypochondria or am really a ditzy blond underneath. First I took my mom there last week, then she took me there today. Today I say to the doc "I know the flu is not that bad yet, but I know some people who got this and landed in hospital with pneumonia", he understandingly nods and says that's why we're going to nip it in the bud. He asks if I'm allergic to anything and my first reaction (my only reaction to any doctor's allergies query) is "I'm allergic to injections and needles." The next question doc asks is am I on any vitamins or supplements? I proceed to rattle off a list including vitamin c, zinc, magnesium, echincea, vitamin b6, evening primrose oil & a generic multivitamin. The look the doc gave me was with wide eyes and I swear he was thinking 'this chic is definitely crazy'.
So he heads out, to the next patient quickly. I begin to tune in to whats going on in the cubicle before us, where the nurse now is. I hear a child saying "but mommy, I don't want the injection, it hurts" and the mother saying semi-sarcastic "well if you don't have the injection you're not going to get better". A few seconds later doc comes back to me, and starts talking, heaven knows what he was saying though, because I sure don't. As he walked in by me, I presume the nurse was injecting the child next door, because I was only hearing varying levels of wailing, howling, sobbing, screaming and outright crying that could have been from 5 kids.
I cant help but think to myself how sorry I felt for that child. I know, because when I was 6 years old, I vowed no more injections. I was given an anti-tetanus jab by a rather rough and rude woman (can never bring myself to call her a nurse) at the Durban health department that hurt like hell and left a bruise for a month! I would rather be ill than have an injection, and I have been fairly true to my promise to myself over the last 17 years. I have only had one injection when I went to a doctor alone a little over a year ago (its nice to have family there to hold your hand at the doctor, so stop calling me a baby and just be jealous ok) and I had bronchitis and was feeling so rubbishy and the doctor was a nasty abrasive manboy type, who I swear just wanted to see my butt. But other than that, I have literally walked out of doctors rooms and hospitals when they threaten me with injections. When I was 14 I had a snake bite scare, we were new on the farm and had no idea of what snakes were here. It was the days when snakes were still scary to me. I had seen a snake in the bush as I was walking past and almost immediately had a sharp burning sensation on my leg, looked down and there were two perfectly even and spaced holes on my leg. No I didn't actually see the snake bite me, but to this day I believe it did. Anyways, I was rushed to the hospital, where they phoned around and there was no anti-venom anywhere in Durban that day (why not?), fortunately it was a harmless snake, because I still had no major effects from it. Would explain why after we got home I went to bed and slept for 15 hours straight. Then when the darned nurses decided that since I was there anyway and it looked like a puncture wound, they would have to give me an anti-tetanus injection. Needless to say I walked out of the hospital, never to return.
I cant help but think to myself how sorry I felt for that child. I know, because when I was 6 years old, I vowed no more injections. I was given an anti-tetanus jab by a rather rough and rude woman (can never bring myself to call her a nurse) at the Durban health department that hurt like hell and left a bruise for a month! I would rather be ill than have an injection, and I have been fairly true to my promise to myself over the last 17 years. I have only had one injection when I went to a doctor alone a little over a year ago (its nice to have family there to hold your hand at the doctor, so stop calling me a baby and just be jealous ok) and I had bronchitis and was feeling so rubbishy and the doctor was a nasty abrasive manboy type, who I swear just wanted to see my butt. But other than that, I have literally walked out of doctors rooms and hospitals when they threaten me with injections. When I was 14 I had a snake bite scare, we were new on the farm and had no idea of what snakes were here. It was the days when snakes were still scary to me. I had seen a snake in the bush as I was walking past and almost immediately had a sharp burning sensation on my leg, looked down and there were two perfectly even and spaced holes on my leg. No I didn't actually see the snake bite me, but to this day I believe it did. Anyways, I was rushed to the hospital, where they phoned around and there was no anti-venom anywhere in Durban that day (why not?), fortunately it was a harmless snake, because I still had no major effects from it. Would explain why after we got home I went to bed and slept for 15 hours straight. Then when the darned nurses decided that since I was there anyway and it looked like a puncture wound, they would have to give me an anti-tetanus injection. Needless to say I walked out of the hospital, never to return.
But today after the consult we were sent off to get my medication at the pharmacy, fortunately a little further from the howls of that poor holey child (he had to be full of holes after that!), I'm sure they gave the poor kid about 5 blinking injections by the amount of screaming going on! And while we waited for my meds, out comes the family to wait too. The poor little guy with puffy red eyes and tear stains down his cheeks doing a perfect Trevor Noah stunt of the soft long lingering whimpering howl. His parents not feeling an ounce sorry for him, but instead chastising him for screaming so badly. Don't worry little guy, I'm on your side!
I sat there with this whole scenario happening around me, and I know I'm not a parent, but how can any self respecting parent honestly wonder where they went wrong? Kids become teenagers and they rebel, they lose trust in their parents, they lie to their parents, heck they sometimes even become thieves. And obviously each and every human being had a mind of their own with which to make their own decisions (I was a case from as early as 3 years old in being stubborn), but parents and others cannot entirely blame it on the child or their surroundings when a child goes wrong!
Why?
Look at what most parents do. From a very early age they tell their children lies, Father christmas, easter bunny, tooth fairy, injections are the only way to get better, white lies are ok, lying because of why you were late, where children come from, etc. THESE ARE ALL LIES! Yes, it may be nice, maybe even less awkward and plain well easier if your kids believe in fantasy things, but wouldn't you rather your child know the truth and trusts you? Because think of how that child is going to feel at 9, 10, or even 12 years old when they discover you have been lying to them all this time? As for injections, they may be the quickest way to get better, but sure as heck they're not the only way to get better. And don't get me started on those other wrong and pagan teachings of santa and the tooth fairy.
What does all this teach your children? It teaches them that a lot of what you yourself taught them is rubbish, hog wash, lies. It teaches them to not trust you, and to not share with you what is truly on their hearts because you may give them a solution that is nothing more than a baseless myth. Maybe you don't even care in their minds. It teaches them that if you could lie to them about such fundamental things, it must be ok to lie. It teaches them a cruel and wrong lesson that you as the parents, grandparents and guardians of these young and malleable minds could have and should have protected them from! And then YOU cry and ask "but where did we go wrong?", you may blame it on apartheid or on the new government that your children are not perfect little models of society, you may blame it on the education system, or you may even blame it on the child. You may say your child has a chemical imbalance, or your child made the wrong choices. But what example did you set? And yet you still never allow the blame to rest where it should, on YOU.
So to the parents of the little boy was crying because of being forced to take injections, you should be ashamed of yourselves!!! You lied to your son and you made him suffer unnecessarily.
I sat there with this whole scenario happening around me, and I know I'm not a parent, but how can any self respecting parent honestly wonder where they went wrong? Kids become teenagers and they rebel, they lose trust in their parents, they lie to their parents, heck they sometimes even become thieves. And obviously each and every human being had a mind of their own with which to make their own decisions (I was a case from as early as 3 years old in being stubborn), but parents and others cannot entirely blame it on the child or their surroundings when a child goes wrong!
Why?
Look at what most parents do. From a very early age they tell their children lies, Father christmas, easter bunny, tooth fairy, injections are the only way to get better, white lies are ok, lying because of why you were late, where children come from, etc. THESE ARE ALL LIES! Yes, it may be nice, maybe even less awkward and plain well easier if your kids believe in fantasy things, but wouldn't you rather your child know the truth and trusts you? Because think of how that child is going to feel at 9, 10, or even 12 years old when they discover you have been lying to them all this time? As for injections, they may be the quickest way to get better, but sure as heck they're not the only way to get better. And don't get me started on those other wrong and pagan teachings of santa and the tooth fairy.
What does all this teach your children? It teaches them that a lot of what you yourself taught them is rubbish, hog wash, lies. It teaches them to not trust you, and to not share with you what is truly on their hearts because you may give them a solution that is nothing more than a baseless myth. Maybe you don't even care in their minds. It teaches them that if you could lie to them about such fundamental things, it must be ok to lie. It teaches them a cruel and wrong lesson that you as the parents, grandparents and guardians of these young and malleable minds could have and should have protected them from! And then YOU cry and ask "but where did we go wrong?", you may blame it on apartheid or on the new government that your children are not perfect little models of society, you may blame it on the education system, or you may even blame it on the child. You may say your child has a chemical imbalance, or your child made the wrong choices. But what example did you set? And yet you still never allow the blame to rest where it should, on YOU.
So to the parents of the little boy was crying because of being forced to take injections, you should be ashamed of yourselves!!! You lied to your son and you made him suffer unnecessarily.
So I waited until my name was called at the dispensary, and got up to get my meds, and then I remembered someone who was recently exposed to TB. Now with my really crumby immune system (this is the third flu I have had in 6 months), and constant contact with lots of people, many of which are strangers, this is a big worry to me. Chances are if anyone, its going to be me to get it. But, I also know I was given TB inoculations as a baby. So I ask the pharmacist, who called in the doctor, "if I can still get TB because I was immunised as an infant?" This time I can see the doctor looking at me sideways, a mixture of exasperation and bewilderment on his face as though to say 'yup, definitely a hypochondriac'. But he patiently answers me and says that the TB immunisation only lasts into the late teens, maybe at a push into the early 20s. So I take my meds and resign myself to being stuck at home for the next few days, away from other harmful germs that could have me coughing up my lungs or drowning in my own bodily fluid.
During the drive home I console myself to the fact that at least I have a video shop's worth of TV series at home on the hard drive to keep myself occupied with. Only to find out I'v already watched EVERY FREAKING THING on the hard drive already and I cant surf the internet because my data bundle is nearly finished.
UGH, Why does my life suck right now?
I'm supposed to be living a great life. A successful, independent, pretty twenty something year old type of life.
UGH, Why does my life suck right now?
I'm supposed to be living a great life. A successful, independent, pretty twenty something year old type of life.
Well, I'm off to scrounge around in the kitchen and hopefully find something to eat, then try again to sleep seeing as its after 5am now and nearly dawn.
P.S. all donations of movies or tv series are very welcome.
