When The Immune System Gave Way

Just in a short span of five days, I've experienced hell, I thought.

It started last friday at work, when I tried to hold back the nauseous feeling while clutching on to my left abdomen. Gah, not gastric problems again, I prayed. The throat started to burn and I was convinced I'm down with the legendary gastric flu. So here goes my saturday at the doctor's.

Doctor: You think it's the gastric that caused the pain in throat, or the other way round?
Me: That's ridiculous.. are they even linked? *still very convinced of my gastric flu self diagnosis*
Doctor: *taps my stomach continuously* Hmm. Loads of activities here. Gastric juice reflux, and the acid burns your throat. That explains your throat hurting.

Whut. Once upon a time at a part time job I'd listened to my supervisor speak about her gastric problems, and how horrible it was for the reflux to happen. To think that I'm at this, erm horrible state as described by her today, it was a forlorn moment for me.

The doctor then prescribed me with medicine to save my stomach, and advised me to follow a diet tagged to regular timing. I wished. Same goes for my wish of a two-day mc, which I regretfully failed to obtain from the ever-strict doctor. Oh whatever, turn up for work then.

Fast forward to Monday after my night shift. I had a rare get together with my batchmates, who decided to be fit kids by cycling around waterway park. Everything was fine, I shed sweats and tears before we finally got to eat at some pretty outdoor place with fairylights hanging overhead us. The spread included meat platter (sausages, fried chicken wings, grilled chicken chop), seafood platter from Big & Small fish (calamari, seabass, dory, prawns, chips, plus alot of sauces), and some Korean bulgogi fries. I was happily gobbling down the food until I suddenly felt an itch from my left arm. A bump. Mosquito bite, zzz. Continue eating. My nape felt itchy. Scratch scratch. Now my ears are itchy. Scratch. Why do I feel so hot. My face feels hot. My ears are pain. Blocked. And some ringing in the ears. Now both my arms are itchy-

Friends ABCDs: YH, why you so quiet. Eh, why is your face so red. Like, patches of red here and there.

Self realisation. An allergy reaction, which had NEVER, EVER happened in my entire life, had happened.

At this point, I need to emphasise my gratitude towards lsl155, who wasted no time in saving my life. She booked the uber, called the clinic to update my emergency, and tipped the taxi driver cos we(I) had no time for change. Found me the clinic, escorted me to the door before going to work. I'm lucky to have an atc friend who perfectly manages my Mayday and gives me perfect track shortening to land. Else I could have died somewhere without knowing how I've died.

At the doctor's again. While waiting impatiently for my turn I resorted to observing my bumps, which scarily turned into ugly patches of lymph nodes-like bumps across my elbows, belly, and shoulder. My head continued to spin, it felt like exploding from the heat, and my heart was beating really fast. What if I die??? My biggest regret: I haven't bought insurance...

My queue number was called and I jumped into the room, where the doctor gave me a jab expressionlessly, explained my case to me expressionlessly, and then said if it didn't recover by 10.30pm (timecheck 9.07pm) I will need to visit the hospital. Ok. Can. Not your body. At least my case was a medium level of allergy, and I'm breathing normally. So I'm not dying. Half convinced, and with that still maroon-almost-chaoda face, I left the clinic and hopped onto uber (something I would not have done unless it's midnight) for home. I want to refrain from dying on a public bus.

That night was terrible. My mom looked terror stricken. My dad looked grim. I felt like a total unfilial daughter to have turn up in this bad state. Gah. In the end my mom came to check on me several times in the night to see if I'm still breathing or not.

Fortunately, I woke up unscathed and back to normal the next morning; and more fortunately, this ordeal earned me a 2-day mc without me asking for it! I thought I could have a Yolo two days of freedom, then...

I'm officially down with flu and dry cough. Spent my precious two days gurgling phlegm out of my throat and blowing my nose.

As the Chinese saying goes, 祸不单行 (mishaps do not come in one), but I believe that 事不过三 (things do not exceed three), so hopefully after this flu I'll be back as a strong bull!