Last Friday I got sick, which was a weird occurrence because every since I did all those ward duties in the hospital since second year college, I haven’t had any noteworthy illnesses.  I guess being spending most of my week running around a hospital has toughened up my immune system so well that the worst thing I caught during college was the occasional runny nose. 

And here comes the downside of being a bum for so long: it’s been literally a year since I’ve last had my duty in any hospital and I suppose that’s effected my body in big way.  Not that anything can weaken my immune system, but it might be the fact that I’m not updated with the latest strains of viruses that I’m left vulnerable.  It’s either that or it’s because of the fact that I’m no longer exposed to the hundreds of strains my body’s been producing less than enough antibodies so once I get exposed to something, I catch it hard.

And boy, was I exposed.  I spent thirty hours last week inside a hospital and my body had been totally unprepared for it. 

The symptoms appeared last Friday, while I was out bonding with a couple of guy friends.  The symptoms were insidious enough; I only felt the start of what seemed to be the run-of-the-mill headache at around three in the afternoon.  I thought it was something eyestrain related; I had been reading for hours that day.   I didn’t focus too much on it and when Renz and Paolo arrived the conversation and the chatter pushed it to the back of my mind.

But then we decided to watch a movie (The International, if you’re wondering) up close because Paolo left his glasses at home and I came out of that with a full blown head-splitting problem.  I suppose the constant state of suspense the movie left me in and the gigantic screen didn’t help my case. 

By the time I had boarded the bus home I was feeling nauseated and dizzy.  That made me panic because one, I just sat down, the bus wasn’t moving yet; and two, I’m not very familiar with the feeling of nausea.  I get every other sick symptom out there except for nausea.  I can’t even remember the last time I puked (that wasn’t alcohol-induced anyway). 

I just turned up the volume of my trusty Ipod, closed my eyes and focused on the lyrics of “Hairspray Original Soundtrack”.  Thank goodness the traffic was very light on the South Expressway that night, or else I might’ve ended up getting sick inside a bus full of strangers. 

When I stepped off the bus, the air that hit me in the face didn’t make me feel better, as I thought it would.  I staggered my way through the crowded parking lot (how it manages to stay busy at nine in the evening I’ll never know) and looked out for my brother’s car.  Thank goodness he came just in time.  I hopped onto the passenger’s seat and breathed a sigh of relief. 

The moment I got home I just washed my face and immediately collapsed onto my bed, only to wake up at around midnight in a slight panic because I couldn’t breathe.  When I opened my eyes it was totally dark; I couldn’t even see my hand in front of me.  Add that to the violent chills I had and to the fact that I couldn’t breathe properly and you’ll have a pretty picture of what I looked like.

Now, days later, my throat feels like there’s an apple stuck in there, my ears still feel weird and my joints are still sort of stiff.  I hate being reminded of how much exactly I don’t enjoy sick days.