Just in time for another holiday (last time it was Diwali, now it's Memorial Day), I seem to be suffering from a strange illness, that to me feels creepily like the final symptoms of the dengue fever I contracted almost three years ago. "Can you have a dengue relapse?" my mother asked. "It seems you have a bacterial infection, but I can't identify what it is, and maybe an unrelated allergic reaction on top of that" said the weekend, not-very-helpful doctor when we skipped church to see if I was going to die. Swollen, red, itchy skin. Pain in my joints--hands, wrists, shoulders, neck, knees. Tired.
Am I making this up? Even worse than being sick in my book, is being indefinably so. Like when I tore the growth plate on my pelvis as a teenager dancing in the Miss Sandy pageant (I was not a competitor, just part of the scenery, I assure you). I collapsed to the floor of the stage and my parents had to be called out of the audience and I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Very embarrassing. After a round of testing, they told me there was nothing wrong with me, and I should go home. I tried to stand up and hyperventilated from the pain. I think it was after that they realized I actually did have something wrong with me and we all felt much better.
But whatever is wrong with me, this weekend has given me a clearer view of what getting old must feel like. Crappy. Barely able to walk down stairs, or open the medicine bottle, get out of a chair without wincing, or pick up a baby. At least I don't have a fever this time and am conscious of the days passing. And Tylenol seems to help. I'm just hoping that being in your 30s is not old enough to contract arthritis. And if it is, I'm hoping I contract something terminal too, since waking up this way for the next 50 or 60 years doesn't sound like a bowl of cherries.
3 comments:
I had something like this several months ago. After about 3 days it just went away. I was so itchy I wanted to scream. I took Benedryl every four hours to make it bearable. I probably thought about drinking the whole bottle just to make the itch go away. I cried one morning making the kids lunches because it hurt my hands so much (I begged them to eat the turkey hot dogs they were serving at school but they declined - and Dallin was out of town). I hope you're feeling better soon. Dallin said it was great seeing Richard this weekend.
Sarah, you are a much braver woman than I. I have taken to my bed for the past two days, making my relatives and Rich do everything. What troopers. I'm glad to know it ends though. Did you ever figure out what it was?
And by the way, can you invite me to your blog? I read it once and loved it, but you went private on me . . .
Mindy I'm so sorry you don't feel well, that sounds awful!
You'll be in my prayers tonight.
luvs, aby
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