In Sickness

It starts with an itch at the back of the throat. Then the eyes begin to water. A headache develops, mild at first, then suddenly throbbing. Temperature goes up and sinuses swell. Finally, sneeze comes after sneeze. That's when i know, i'm sick.

I absolutely dislike being sick. The sneezing, the watery eyes, the runny nose and the headaches. Then there's sleeping on my side for fear of drowning in my own snot. That is not a very good death. I'd probably laugh at myself if i still can.

I really don't like taking medicine. There's something about being dependent on something artificial that irks me. I don't like wearing glasses to be able to see or the possibilty of being dependent on crutches or a wheelchair to be mobile. I recognize that the human body has it's limits but i try not to become accustomed to such things if i can help it.

I was a sickly child, or at least, i was always told i was a sickly child. I have this weird thought that i would have been sick a lot less if only people had stopped telling me that i was sickly.

Being sick, however unagreeable it may be, can also be useful in teaching us things. It's one of those 'Experience is the greatest teacher' or 'You never know what you have until you lose it' lessons. Nothing like a migraine to make you appreciate clear thought. Nothing like a broken ankle to make you appreciate walking. Personally, there's nothing like asthma to make you appreciate every breath.



Word of the day::
mal·aise (mă-lāz', -lĕz')
n.

1. A vague feeling of bodily discomfort, as at the beginning of an illness.
2. A general sense of depression or unease: “One year after the crash, the markets remain mired in a deep malaise” (New York Times).

[French, from Old French : mal-, mal- + aise, ease; see ease.]