Sickness... is not the business

(Tuesday, September 13th- Thursday, September 15, 20ll)

Many people in my program have been getting little colds. Ya know, like sniffles and maybe a cough or two. Well last Wednesday I had a sore throat and figured it was just a little something. So I bought some Ricola from a 'Farmacia' and was feeling fine by Thursday. By Friday I had a stuffy nose, but it was bearable and then on Saturday (yes, in Córdoba) I bought medication for congestion and fever. Forget being sick in a foreign country, buying medication in a foreign country in scary! I can try to read directions and information in spanish, but a lot of it is vocabulary I've never learned. I was thankful I could ask María what it was and she said it was basically a very 'suave' pill (low dosage)- stuff they can give to babies when they are sick. It's what the pharmacist recommended for my symptoms at that point. Perfect- that should be okay for me. (And it was.) By Tuesday morning I was feeling great. So great in fact, I forgot to take my meds in the morning because I didn't need it. However, this is also where the story turns sour...

After lunch on Tuesday I went to my room for siesta and felt really really hot. The trouble here is, the temperature is ALWAYS 80-90 degrees or more, so I couldn't tell if I had a fever or if it was just really hot in my room. We were supposed to have another socio-cultural event with our 'monitores' at 5:30, but I texted my monitor saying I couldn't make it due to having a fever. This is where the next 20 or so hours turn into a blurry disillusion of real life for me. I slept most of the afternoon, getting up constantly to use the bathroom (I really don't want to get super graphic on my blog... for your sake. But let's just say I was not vomiting.). This continued all night long (I actually think it got worse as the night progressed) along with chills and a fever until I finally managed to roll out of bed and call our program director, Inma, to tell her I was ill and needed to see a doctor right away. Ya'll know me- I don't go to the doctor unless I really need to. And I hate taking medication unless it's absolutely necessary. 

I threw on clothing (used the bathroom again) and went to her office downstairs. She called a taxi for me, told me all I needed was money to pay for the visit and I was off to a near-by clinic. (The whole time I just kept thinking- please don't let me need to use the restroom right now.) I seriously have never felt so horrible in my life. So I got to the doctor and finally am told I will have to wait an hour. Thankfully, the man in front of me only took about 15 minutes and I was seen almost immediately. Now, I'm at the doctor's by myself, feeling like death, and I have to speak and understand this man all in Spanish. Somehow I managed to make it work. I told him my symptoms and allergies to medication and then he jabbed my stomach for a bit before sputtering off something about my appendix. That's where I froze and had to ask him about 5 times, 'So, you don't think it's my appendix, right?' and only when he said 'no' 5 times did I calm down a bit. (Turns out he was just trying to explain to me the procedure in which to decide if what I had was appendicitis, but it wasn't. Whew! I was not about the have surgery in a foreign country!) Next, he prescribed me about 5 medications including an antibiotic and a strict diet of rice, natural yogurt, and apples for 48 hours. ...50euro later plus medications, I was on my way. 

I made it back to my room and since I hadn't eaten anything all day (again, you all know how important food is in my life. Allie without food= bitch. Well I didn't have an appetite- for the first time in my life-, I was beyond sick, probably dehydrated at this point, and running on an empty stomach. You can only imagine how I felt.) And now enter my Angels. My good friend Lauren has been my saving grace. She knew I was ill and immediately came to my room when she heard I had been to the doctor. She asked me what I needed and ran to the store to buy me food so I could get something in my system. I wasn't able to eat much all day, but I did eat something and I was drinking nasty electrolyte enhanced water prescribed by my doc. Lauren came in and checked on me frequently- we even watched a bit of a movie later that night. I was also able to skype! with my mother twice during the day. This of course made me feel better just seeing her since I am no where near her... though the skype session involved tears of course. I sent her a text from the doctor's office and accidentally scared her. I pretty much slept off and on all that day and then skyped with my Mama again before going to bed for the night. 

By the next day (Thursday), the antibiotics had started to kick in and I felt loads better than before but was still in recovery mode with no appetite. And now I'm still on my antibiotic until tomorrow (sunday) but feeling great. I have no idea where this nasty bug came from, but now I know, being terribly ill in a foreign country is no fun (not that I ever thought it would be.) 

I've come to a conclusion about myself: I always take things to the extreme... I play hard, work hard, and fall quite hard too. So in the end, no one can tell me I'm not living life to it's fullest! :)

An interesting note: I think it's funny that I forgot to pack any sort of medications with me. I only brought my vitamins and a few motrin. That was dumb. But hey, I remembered Peanut Butter! And that's something everyone else forgot. haha! Yesterday and today, my peanut butter has lifted my spirits quite a bit. :)

Here is a silly picture of me to let ya'll know I'm doing just fine now: Enjoy!

Love you all and miss you tons! Besos y abrazos to you all...