{via}
So, I did fall off the face of the earth again, didn’t I?
I have a good excuse though. Actually, there were two reasons. One: I was religiously following the World Cup, which would be worth a whole blog post itself, but I will spare you the details as a) Germany didn’t win the title (even though they were so close), so never-mind, and b) I know that some of you couldn’t care less. Two: I was sick.
Yeah, I know, right? Who gets sick in the middle of summer when it’s 98°F outside? Apparently, I do. I blame it all on the freezing-cold temperatures at my office and the fact that we actually had to open windows to get some warm air in.
How backwards is that? I mean, having an A/C when most of the days are in the 90’s in the summer feels right, but making you wear long pants and sweaters inside, while it’s boiling hot outside? No, no, there is something wrong with that.
It all started out with a sore throat on July, 1 and just went downhill from there. Needless to say, my greatly anticipated 4-day-weekend pretty much completely fell through. We had planned to escape the Central Valley heat for a day of play and relaxation at the beach, but alas, that didn’t happen. I felt crappy the whole weekend, I was aching in all kinds of different places and one of my lymph nodes had swollen up to the size of a big, fat grape.
The only bright spot of the weekend was Germany’s sublime quarter-final ass-kicking of the full-of-themselves, cocky Argentinians, which I witnessed through the hot steam of five big cups of peppermint tea early on Saturday morning. It made me feel so much better (the tea, yes, and the game). Temporarily.
When I still wasn’t back to my old self last Tuesday morning, I did something I usually never do – call in sick at work! – and decided it was time to see a doctor for the first time since I moved to the US. I know this (argues in favor of my overall good health, and) might sound rather silly, but it’s all kind of scary to go to a doctor in a foreign country for the very first time.
I don’t know. You just don’t know what to expect, if that makes sense.
As it turned out, I was anxious for nothing and had a very nice visit with a very nice (and young) female doctor (is it just me or does anybody else feel it’s wrong when doctors are around the same age as oneself? I usually like my doctors to be old, white-haired guys with LOTS of experience under their belt, but I am guessing that time is against us and the older we get, the younger the doctors who treat us are going to be).
In the end, she was less concerned about my throat infection (though she told me that it would take a few more days for it to go away) than my briefly-mentioned history of iron deficiency-anemia, which had landed me in the hospital a few years ago (blood transfusion and all kinds of tests and procedures, like colonoscopy and gastroscopy, included. Fun times – NOT).
Although I had been contemplating on having my iron levels checked for a while, I had thought it to be silly to see a doctor for just that. Now that I was at the doctor’s anyway, I agreed on having my blood work checked. I didn’t expect a negative outcome per se, but I was not surprised when the doctor called and told me that she’d like me to start taking iron supplements again. Yuck. Do you know how nasty iron supplements are? They make you burp a lot and leave an iron aftertaste in your mouth. Is that TMI? Sorry.
I did stay home from work for two days (which in this country has pretty much the implication that you must be half-dead, or something) and just tried to get better. Besides the fact that I felt like crap for almost an entire week, I must say that staying at home for two days, that I was scheduled to work, was a nice, unexpected change of pace. I actually picked up a book and read a few chapters, which is something I hadn’t had time for in a while. (Note to self: have to make time for this more often!)
I did miss out on Amy‘s Nintendo-party on Friday (which was a bummer!), but at least I think I have fully recovered over the weekend and things will be back to normal around here.
Emily Jane
July 12, 2010 at 1:42 pmAwww, sorry to hear about your crummy sickness! I was off for two days last week too. We rule at summer, haha. So glad to hear you’re recovering :)
.-= Emily Jane´s last blog ..The Scholarly Years =-.
Holly
July 12, 2010 at 5:32 pmI’m glad you’re finally feelineg better! I waited more than 3 years before finding a doctor in AB when I first moved here ~ though that’s just a foreign province, not a foreign country! I just hate doctors … I still don’t go to them until I’m near death!
Stephanie
July 12, 2010 at 6:23 pmGlad you’re feeling better, being sick in the summer is no fun at all!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Oh baby you- youve got what I need- =-.
Tanja
July 12, 2010 at 9:27 pmI’m glad you are feeling better. I know exactly the scary feeeling to see for the first time a doctor in a foreign country – in the end not really different to what we are use to :)
Hope you can find more time to read a couple of good books! Take care of yourself!
Antje
July 13, 2010 at 4:29 amSo good to hear you are doing better! I am so uncomfortable with seeing doctors, not only new ones, but unfortunately I had to meet my share during the last years! I hope you get to enjoy your summer a bit more from now on and get some beach time! Which reminds me that we should do that too as long as we can in between all the baby preparations and house projects.
Scarlet
July 13, 2010 at 6:07 amGlad you’re feeling better, but lots of people get sick of the summer when it’s dead hot outside particularly pale angels like me – going outside for even ten minutes could result in a mass breakout of pink skin or sunburn even with suncream!
And the world cup is a great excuse to drop off the face of the earth – it only happens once every four years after all!
.-= Scarlet´s last blog ..Overblown- Stale- Grainy It Can Only Mean One Thing… =-.
Tinka
July 13, 2010 at 10:38 amSan, thanks for all your comments and sorry of the lack of mine. Life has been so busy. I’m glad to read that you are feeling better. I hope all is well with you… and yeah… I’m ready for your extra questions :)
.-= Tinka´s last blog ..Happy in Germany =-.
Stefanie
July 13, 2010 at 11:58 amI am sorry that your 4th-of-July weekend didn’t go as you expected it to. But I am glad you are feeling better. :)
I had taken iron supplements for a while but they didn’t taste like anything to me – it was just a pill.
.-= Stefanie´s last blog ..Things that make me happy =-.
terra
July 13, 2010 at 12:52 pmI always seem to get sick at the most unfortunate times, but summer is usually my off-season for sickness, thankfully! Hope you’re back to feeling like your self again!
.-= terra´s last blog ..Seattle- Possibly inhabited by zombies- fabulously photogenic -amp some quirk for good measure =-.
Maribeth
July 13, 2010 at 3:39 pmTake care of yourself and do watch the iron levels in your blood. I know what you mean about the taste. I hated taking iron when I was pregnant..
Feel better soon!!!
.-= Maribeth´s last blog ..Mama Anneliese =-.
ilka
July 14, 2010 at 5:52 ami am glad you got that iron stuff checked out. that can be dangerous. i do agree that iron supplements suck. but i guess it is better than having anemia. i hope you are better by now and you have all my support for following the world cup. and hell yes, we deserved it so bad.
Lisa
July 14, 2010 at 8:42 amSan! I’m so sorry you were sick. :( That’s the worst! But I’m happy you’re all better now. And I’m sorry I haven’t been around much lately…I am trying to ease my way back into blogging. It’s something I love so much and I’m trying to find a way to make it all fit in the way I want it to. Anyway. I figure a good start is to get back into commenting! ANYWAY. I’m sorry Germany didn’t win! Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone, but my boyfriend MAY or may not have shed a few tears when the US lost! ;) (But if he asks…I never said a WORD…) :P
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..dreams- sunshine- laughter- love- life =-.
Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks
July 14, 2010 at 11:22 amThank goodness you saw a doctor and are on the road to feeling better. If it makes you feel better, there are far too many Americans who are squeamish about going to the doctor … and that’s likely why we spread the sickies so willingly … well, that and the fact we never call in sick to work!
Karen
July 24, 2010 at 5:51 pmI’ve had to take iron supplements a few times, when my Hb value was too close to the lowest allowed value to give blood. (I was allowed to give blood, but knowing that my Hb value would drop even further after that, they gave me iron supplements.)
I rarely get sick either. I think I have been to the doctor exactly once for being sick here in Heidelberg. The other times were for immunizations and for my allergy shots. I did however go to the doctor once in the US and once in Spain. I wasn’t nervous at all about going to the doctor in the US, just a little in Spain because I wasn’t sure I’d understand everything (however, in the end everything worked out just fine).
.-= Karen´s last blog ..A note from me to you =-.
Polin
July 31, 2010 at 6:56 pmI was rooting for Germany, but also for Spain and was thrilled when they won. I also got sick, very sick at the end of June/beginning of July… it must have been in their air, because since then I’ve heard of a bunch of people who were or have been sick too.
.-= Polin´s last blog ..Moving =-.