Tell Me It's Not Dengue

It has been more than a week now that I update my blog. No. I'm not that busy. I just fell sick. I was down with high fever. Too bad the day after we went to see the physician, a group of people from Kementerian Kesihatan knocked at my door announcing that they are from the Vector Division and will be fogging every house in the area (since there is a reported case of dengue), so, please come out and wait outside. Since it was my son who received them, he frankly told them, "No. We are not going out. My Mum is sick. She's down with fever." I can almost hear some sort of elated feelings in them - aha..., another case for our file, or was it my imagination? With that one of the team member said, "I am from the Ministry of Health, please, can you let me in. I need to talk to your mother". So, in went the authority asking me questions like : "How long have I been having fever? Have I seen the Dr.? Do I feel pain in my joints? Any cough? Vomitting?" I answered with "Since yesterday, yes, no, no, no."

"OK!" he said "I am going to leave you a reference letter. Go to the Klinik Kesihatan at Seksyen 7 tomorrow morning."
"My Dr. told me to see her again tomorrow night if I still have my fever. She will take my blood sample then." I responded back.
"Don't wait until night. You have to go to the Government's clinic if not we will not have any report on you."
"Only if my fever persists" I said. "Thank you" I said again when he handed me the piece of reference letter and they left.

Well, the next day, I still waited until my husband came back from work (around 9.00 p.m.) before I went to see my Dr. (she has been our family Dr., really). Both of us are confident that it is not dengue since other than my high temperature, I do not have any other symptoms.

The next day, my husband became quite impatient - he took an emergency leave and called the Dr. He was told that the result will only be received at 4.30 that evening. So, he asked the Dr to cancel it, request for a reference letter and half-forced me to the A&E of SJMC.

An hour after the blood sample was taken, we got the result. No, it is not Dengue - my platelet count is 313. The Dr. took his time explaning to both my husband and I what each figure means and finally, since my count for one of the blood's components is higher than the expected range, he concluded that my fever is bacterial rather than viral - beats me what it means. To me, it means having a high fever which leaves my body tired, fatigue, lethargic - you name it.

While doing this entry I am still a bit groggy but looking back to the past one week in which I can only lie down (uncomfortably too), I decided that I have to do something now that I have a choice. A very good friend of mine once said, "you see, human body is not made for lying down,..." You do not know how true that is!!!

But in situation like this I found another meaning of love. Looking back at the past week when I was lying down, with roller-coasting temperatures, too tired to even get my own drinks and medication - I saw a beautiful thing - my husband and children trying their best to keep me as comfortable as they can, getting me what I wanted before being asked, to sit/lie down beside me (my eldest child even sit beside me reciting some doas), checking on me now and again. Between them they managed to run the house - to put food on the table and clear the dish away, to wash and dry the clothes, to get ready for school without incident though a bit later than usual. If this is a test for them, they passed with bright flying colors. And I am Blessed!

NB : "peonies" from www.betterphoto.com ; "blue rose" from www.japanprobe.com