Lots to write about today. Have I left it so long between diary entries? Seems so. So I will start with what the title of today's blog refers to - namely me going down with flu this week.
Well, I suppose it was flu. But not the usual symptoms. No runny nose or sore throat. No coughs or sneezes either. And it seemed to start quickly. It wasn't something I felt coming on one day and next day was hit by it. Started, it seemed, Saturday early afternoon and probably during my classes. I felt that it was due to my extra-strong coffee that I had prepared that morning which really affected me.
Yes, that was one strange thing. Normally I buy and drink the brown water that poses for coffee at the place we teach in. But then I decided NO and went and bought a thermos flask and some Nescafe with the intention of making it myself every morning .... which I DID on that Saturday early morning in my room. Didn't know how many spoons to put it but remembered that my usual method to make coffee had been to make a 'spout' hole in the paper at the top of the coffee jar and then simply pour it into the cup. Applied the same principle to my flask. But how many shakes or pours to put in? And what is this Nescafe Red Cup coffee? Same as normal Nescafe? I supposed it was and shook ..... oh, I suppose about four or five or maybe even six 'portions' of coffee into the thermos, added milk, some sugar and boiled my kettle. Now, I actually DID think that the water would only take up about half the thermos flask so wondered if it would hot enough and, indeed, strong enough when it was drinking time.
OHH .... it certainly WAS strong enough. Came out a dark brown colour .... VERY dark brown! Id rank it and it seemed good though was certainly strong. Didn't matter - that's what I needed. Had some before class and then during the long break at 9.15am between classes.
When I went back to class, something was happening. Felt sleepy, tired and was hard to do things and my brain was having trouble. Tiredness and tired eyes were on me. Really was a strange feeling. Got to the end of the teaching day. Felt OK but there was an urgent need to go lie down. Stomach wasn't feeling so good. Did start to worry that I had over-caffeinated myself. In the past, on occasions, when I have drunk too much coffee in a day then it makes me feel quite sick. Was this what was happening now?
Lunchtime at home was awful and I felt pretty bad. Was it due to this coffee? Or was I getting this flu anyway? Anyway, whatever it was, I was feeling ROUGH AS HELL and when it was time to go back I did not know how I was going to get through the afternoon. My stomach felt bad - not painful I'd say but certainly uncomfortable. And my HEAD was hurting too. Was VERY hard to move around - a great feeling of fatigue and some dizziness had come over me.
Went into the college anyway as I had to. But BOY OH BOY - did I feel rough?Needed to lie down and not do anything at all VERY SOON. Anyway, I tried to concentrate but just couldn't. Needed the toilet a few times, but nothing out of the ordinary. No diarrhoea and wasn't sick. But when I was sitting there, I felt that I had to stay there.
Last I saw of the day at college. I walked back from the toilet and felt bad in the stomach and head. Back in the staffroom I was asked if I felt OK to which the answer was, No Not At All. So I told the HoD I wasn't feeling good at all and I had to go home. And so I did .... VERY slowly. NOT well at all!!
Wasn't sure about the next day. What were the rules and regulations here? Who did I phone if I was unable to go into work sick? I did not know. All I could do, I felt, was go into work the next day as normal. Although it wouldn't be normal since I wouldn't be able to function properly.
Well, THAT is what I did. That Sunday I went into the classroom feeling ill. Told the class that, quite simply, I was NOT feeling well that day and that I didn't mind what they did so long as they kept the noise down. And this they mostly did. They were quite good about it actually. Wouldn't exactly say they looked after me but there was concern over my well-being.
And I sat there drinking and drinking water all that morning. Must have drunk maybe two and a half litres which equates to one large bottle plus nearly two small ones. A LOT of water really. I think I had quite a temperature. Though I must say that drinking all this water did help me and I did feel a bit better at the end of those four lessons.
But after the lessons I told my colleague that I would not be in later and that he should excuse me. Had to go home and that was IT for that day.
Later on that evening at about 8pm I called my colleague and told him I would not be in the next day. He said he would collect from me any stuff that could be used for the class the next day and so fished out various grammar exercises from my bag which would keep them going and gave him them.
The next day he phoned me to tell me that cover had been arranged for my classes. Thank goodness for THAT! But, he said, I WOULD need to get over to the Medical Center for a Sick Note later. Hmm, I thought, why is it always this way? You're off work, you feel ill and yet you have to get your ill body up and out just for the sake of procedures and rules! Anyway, that was what I had to do, and in the afternoon I called the Medical Center, and off I went after lunchtime.
The usual doctor was on holiday. I explained what was wrong with me to the nurses there, and after the statutory waiting around period, I was called in. WELL! It was a female doctor who did not look pleased to see a MAN in her surgery. there she was sitting there, Qu'ran beside her on her desk and she listened. Then she wanted to test my blood sugar for diabetes. Reasonable, I suppose, since it IS in my family - though I didn't feel it was THAT. The result was OK I think after the fingerprick blood test. Nothing much was tested on me, and I was swiftly despatched with a simple prescription for paracetamol and vitamins.
I wasn't quite sure what sick note she had written. "One day", was all she said, which was not a pleasant thought if it meant I had to go in to work AGAIN ill. Maybe she meant that the NEXT day was the one day. I do not know what the sick note says. Anyway ... I am not going to worry about it since if I am to be penalised for being ill, then so be it.
And this is another thing about workplaces. WHY should we be made to feel so guilty because we are not well? NO person should be irreplaceable. In any case, cover was available and all was done without fuss (I guess!) Nobody made any fuss over it.
Flu in Saudi Arabia. Not the place you associate with such things, is it? But, you know, one student of mine DID have a nasty sore throat the day before I was struck down with my stuff. So I suppose it came from him.
Speaking of flu, I KNOW the associations it has these days. Swine flu. There have been only TWO confirmed cases of it here in Saudi Arabia. Was I worried about it being me? Naturally yes I WAS. My illness was not all the classic flu symptoms as I said before. And when I woke up Monday morning with a SPLITTING headache like no other, I DID wonder what the HELL was going on with me.
Fresh air. In rather short supply here. I go between air-conditioned air to sandy outdoor air - NEITHER of which is that good for me. And I DO wonder about that - the air that I breathe is NOT too good in many ways. Certainly no chance of good, fresh forest or mountain air here. What effect will THAT have? Being ill makes you think of such things.
Anyway, all is fine today. I did not lose my appetite at any time during this sick week. Although I desperately needed to lie down, things did not get worse.
Was stress part of the cause of this? Tiredness too? Who knows, but it may well have been as I have been susceptible to that in the past. This is no easy place to live as you will know if you're a regular reader of my blog entries. Will this happen again? Yes, it could WELL do.
And I do NOT look forward to THAT!
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