There is one consolation in being sick; and that is the possibility that you may recover to a better state than you were ever in before.” ~Henry David Thoreau
As I lay on my hospital bed Wednesday evening, complete with salmon sheets, I wearily watched the people strolling past my hospital room. The door was closed, but there was a wide window of clear glass along the whole side of the wall. The top half was thickly tinted for privacy; but the lower half was as clear as light allowed. From my propped position in bed, I was able to watch the shoes passing by.
Black sneakers, gray sneakers, black Sketchers, tan pull ons, and more shoes rolled on and on. Some had no laces. Others had bright, complimenting laces like yellow, pink, baby blue, and neon green, while others had laces that simply matched.
And I waited for my pair to come back. The orange sneakers—with slightly lighter orange laces—that seemed to appear and disappear whenever they willed. That was my nurse. And after my second IV bag’s fluids were completely drained into my arm, I knew that same orange pair of sneakers would appear before my door and walk into my room.
And then I would go back to campus to serve the rest of my eternity until Monday in sick, solitary confinement.
And that is what I did.
That is what I am still doing for the next few hours.
And that is why this Monday is actually one of my most anticipated days of this new year. And as a college student, I do not usually pick the first day of a class week!
But I have been out of school for a full week; visited two hospitals on three different occasions; had my first ambulance ride; passed out more times than I want to know; and I have put my family and friends through more in one week than I would want to in a lifetime.
Yeah, a lot has happened this week.
So the moral of this post: do not catch the flu.
Wash your hands often with warm, soapy water. Really wash those hands. We college students touch a lot of shared doors, light switches, and elevator buttons. That does not even include our personal phones, laptops, and other devices. And just when you think you have washed your hands enough, go wash them again.
Avoid touching your eyes, face, or nose. Drink lots and lots of water, chomp on those veggies for your life, and enjoy those fruits.
If your body is going to be in a high viral battle, you should probably give it some high quality ammunition.
Don’t make your body depend on an IV. Don’t groan alone in isolation (it will definitely annoy your roommates). And don’t miss a whole week of classes.
Stay healthy, be productive, and walk worthy.
Petals With A Purpose 