Sick and solo

I am currently getting over this sore throat, fever, head cold that is going around the teachers and students at Fawzia Sultan. One would think that a 24 year old who has decided she was mature enough to move six thousand miles away from home could handle being sick by herself. Turns out, it doesn’t really work that way.

I’ve been told that I was sick throughout most of my childhood. Asthma attacks landed me in the hospital where my parents would take turns sleeping in a chair next to my bed while the other one was at home watching Heather. I also had a hip dysplasia as a baby, however, I don’t know very much about it. The correct spelling and pronunciation comes from having to write it on medical forms. Due to the power of prayer, alhamdullilah, that condition disappeared the morning of the scheduled surgery. Childhood nosebleeds, “puffers” and my asthma machine, chicken pox which my lovely sister passed on to me, along with all of the regular colds, flu and other bugs.

I was sick so often that my parents would automatically run into my bedroom upon hearing sobbing or cries for Mommy or the throw up bucket. Just ask Heather, she likes to remind us all once in a while about “that time when I was sick but you went running into Becca’s room…”. I remember how great it was being sick. My mom would make a nice bed for me on the couch, complete with blankets and my pillow, constant kisses on my forehead and dry toast with a tiny bit of butter or jelly to settle my stomach. Grammy would bring Raspberry Flavored GingerAle to settle my stomach and I would get to spend the day sleeping or watching TV.

All of those perks disappear when you’re sick and living alone. I could tell that I was getting sick earlier this week. It started with a sore throat and quickly moved into a sleepless Tuesday night, complete with 101 degree fever. I missed having someone to baby me like I have been used to for so many years. Instead, I propped my laptop up against my knees and talked on google to some friends. I wrote some lesson plans and was sure to keep a box of tissues, some water and the thermometer within reach on my night side stand. I tried my best to fall asleep, knowing that I had seven boys who were expecting me to take them on our first field trip of the year and wondering how I was going to manage in my current state.

I eventually gave up on sleep and instead decided to call my parents with Skype. The time difference worked out pretty well. 3:15 AM Kuwait time meant 8:15 PM Connecticut time. Somehow just hearing my parents’ voices and seeing their faces helped me relax and start to feel better. By the end of our 40 minute conversation I could tell that my fever was breaking and I was ready to call it a night, well morning. We said goodbye and I fell asleep instantly.

Although the sleep was short lived, a measly two and a half hours, it was great. After getting on the teacher bus and attempting to say “good morning” to another teacher I realized that my voice was not all there. My students thought my voice was funny, teasing and calling me Gramma. The field trip was wonderful and miserable at the same time. The lack of sleep, running nose and alternating hot flashes and shivers plus seven boys with space to roam made for one long but really great day. InshAllah I’ll post about it very soon. I took a nice three hour nap after getting home, woke up to eat some dinner and watch a few television shows and then went to bed for the night around 8.

Alhamdullilah, I feel so much better now. The school nurse gave me some antibiotics and I have been able to rest and catch up on sleep. My voice is still silly, which I am sure will elicit some laughs tomorrow if it remains. While being sick when you’re older and living by yourself isn’t much fun, it is still nice to know that your friends and family can make you feel better, even when half way around the world.