I think it goes without saying that this winter has been a rough season for health all around. I haven’t come across anyone who’s been spared. When I felt a cold coming on a few days before Christmas, I had hopes of scaring it off with drinking lots of Airborne. That usually does the trick. However, it was not to be this time.
The sickness in our house lingered much longer than any one of us would have liked. Everyone seemed better…nope, up popped a fever. Okay, we’re all finally back to norm…nope, another one was puking. It all started on Christmas Eve…
I won’t go into it, but every single person in our household decided to have two rounds of sickness. We had one trip to a walk-in clinic, a day spent in the ER, two rounds of antibiotics, and a $30 trip to the pediatrician to hear “it’s a virus. drink lots of fluids and get lots of rest”. I love paying $30 to hear those words. I should have known. Dang viruses.
Some other words I did not appreciate hearing upon my arrival to triage in the ER were “did you get a flu shot?”
Do I look like I got a flu shot? The room is spinning, I can’t sit up in my chair and I may or may not throw up all over you in about 2 seconds.
“No.” The only word I could get out.
This compassionate gentleman led me to a room, gave me instructions to get into a gown and on the bed. As he was leaving, he just couldn’t help himself. “Well, you probably have the flu.”
Well, I probably don’t care about a flu diagnosis from a guy who has Medical Assistant on his badge. Get someone in here who’s gone to school longer than 6 months and can put me out of my misery!!
I chose to keep my thoughts to myself and let my dear husband help me follow the judgmental medical assistant’s instructions. And there I laid, closing my eyes to keep the room from spinning, waiting for those IV fluids to make me feel new.
My diagnosis was finally given, a nasty ear infection which affected my inner ear, which made me dizzy, which made me nauseous, which eventually led to dehydration. I thought that ear infections were reserved for toddlers, but I guess they’re mostly for toddlers and an occasional lucky 38 year old woman like myself.
After a few hours and several medications I walked out feeling slightly better and refrained from yelling down the hall to the MA who misdiagnosed me, “It’s an ear infection, not the flu, so take that Mr. Flu Shot Guy!” I wasn’t feeling that good.
Here’s to brighter days when not one person wakes up saying, “I just don’t feel so good.”
