I'm sick, guys.
It sucks!
This has to be one of the worst sicknesses I have had in a very long time.
Sunday morning I woke up early because my stomach was hurting. I went to the living room and laid on the couch for a bit and after a while I started feeling worse. I was feeling really dizzy, I had major sensitivity to light and noise, my head felt like it was about to explode and I was majorly nauseous. I decided to take my temperature and the thermometer read 38,3 (100.9)... I wrapped myself in my comforter, laid on the couch and drifted in and out of consciousness for the next 4 hours...I would sleep for 20 minutes and then be awake for 10-20 minutes and then fall asleep again. Every movement hurt and made me feel dizzy, my head was feeling worse.. I took my temp again and it was 38,6 (101.5) so I took some medicine (I had to force myself to drink a tiny bit of water in order to swallow the medicine because even a small amount of water made me feel like I was going to throw up)... I checked my temp again later and instead of going down it had gone up to 39,1 (102.4)!
Anyone who knows me knows that I NEVER go to the Dr.'s, but I felt so crappy that I started crying.... (can you picture this, me with my eyes closed in complete silence on my couch wrapped up in my comforter just crying because everything hurt so bad)...it wasn't a pretty sight.
Here in Italy they have the E.R. but they also have the Guardia Medica*, which is kind of like an E.R. but for cases that aren't so serious (like mine)... I called my roommate** and asked her when she would be home (soon) and asked her if she would accompany me (I was so dizzy and felt like I was going to faint that I didn't dare brave the 3 flights of stairs down my building alone). She came home and took me to the Guardia Medica, which is literally a m one-minute walk from my place.
According to the Dr. I caught a nasty virus going around which gives you these exact symptoms, it lasts about 3 days and then you're fine. She said I am only allowed to eat: Apples, bread, boiled rice, and boiled potatoes for the next few days. She also said she was going to give me a shot for the nausea, which would allow me to eat and drink and which should help out with the headache... I started rolling up my sleeve and she goes, "No, on your bottom"
YUP...she gave me a shot on my ass!
I don't know what she gave me, but it was a miracle drug...within an hour my fever had gone down, I managed to drink some water and eat an apple and I got some color back in my face.
I haven't had a fever today, which is good. Head still hurts quite a bit, still kind of nauseous, slightly dizzy..but no fever. I have had no appetite at all but I managed to eat half a bowl of plain boiled white rice for lunch and I had some boiled potatoes for dinner (which I was unable to finish), but at least I have been able to eat. I do feel very nauseous after every meal, but I manage to keep it down it goes away after a while.
Who knows, maybe tomorrow I will be able to eat a whole bowl full of food...
Baby steps!
*Huge props to Italy....all of this cost me $0!!! The consultation, shot, prescription for medicine, etc. came at no cost to me...and no, I will not be getting a bill in the mail because they never even asked me for my address.... I may complain a lot about the way Italy runs things, but I was thoroughly impressed by this.
Way to go, Italy, you surprised me...In a good way!
** My roommate, Esther, is an angel...she has become one of my closest confidantes out here. She has taken such good care of me...the only reason I ate an apple yesterday is because to her... she cut it, peeled it, chopped it up, put it on a plate and brought it out to the couch where I was laying. I love her!
