Right after the students left, I came down with a nasty stomach bug. After an entire day of not being able to eat or drink anything, which I figured wasn't particularly good for my little Peanut, I called my friend, Emda, who's a student at the best medical college in town, and she told me to come on over. Early the next morning, I boarded the crowded bus and took my place standing near the back. Noticing my pained looking appearance, the bus helper yelled, "She's going to throw up, and gave me her seat." But, by the time I'd transferred buses downtown and ridden for another hour or so, I'd really had more than I could take. Fair skin is considered beautiful here, but when my friend met me at the bus stop, she thought the whiteness was a little over the top and didn't particularly like the green tinge either.
Our first stop was her oral surgery professor's office (Dr. Zhang). The professor then whisked me away to the office of her stomach doctor friend who suggested that I could possibly wait another day before treatment and should try going home and eating rice porridge. As we left the stomach doctor's office, Dr. Zhang and her student consulted deciding there was no way I could safely make it home in my current condition. On return to her office, she had me sit at the nurse's station where Emda explained they were preparing an IV of rehydration fluids. Emda was great and never left my side the whole time! During the second IV, I finally started feeling a little better and after demonstrating that I could eat a little bread and drink a few sips of water, Emda went out in search of a taxi so I could make it home more safely. After 30 minutes of searching in vain, we conceded there was none to be found and she escorted me home on the bus lest I should not be able to cope.
Fast forward several days where I have not been able to get off the sofa for more than a few minutes at a time. It's now Saturday and Hunter has to go out. I don't think I can manage with the baby for the afternoon so I call my friend/Hunter's language teacher, who agrees to come make rice soup for me and watch the baby so I can continue laying on the sofa. Despite how great she was, by that night I'd had as much as I thought I could take, so I gave Emda another call.
The next day, I very smartly called and pre-arranged a taxi and off I set again. This time, Emda's classmate and my friend Christina meets me and off we set again. Since the stomach doctor was in surgery during my arrival, Dr. Zhang let me lay in the bunk beds of the nurses lounge until she was available. The result of the consultation was that my stomach would eventually get better and...Dr. Zhang whisked me away again for another IV. This time, I had two nurses as both Emda and Christina attentively stayed by me making sure I stayed covered by the blanket if I turned over and helping me sit up if I wanted to drink something. (Hospital beds don't have automatic controls here.) By the time I left, almost all of my friends at the medical college had come to see me and wish me well so I really felt the blessings of friendship.
The next day, I went to our school clinic and the nurse gave me yet another round of IVs, but by that afternoon, I was able to start eating and drinking again so thankfully it was the last day of treatment. I guess things I have learned from this experience are that good friends are a blessing and to be sensitive to the needs of others. Since I couldn't really even take care of myself, I was really depending on them, which made me realize I need to be even more attentive to Archie (on his time table not mine) when he's hungry or has another need since he can't help himself either. I am, of course, also extremely grateful to Hunt who has cared for the baby and kept the house running while I've been sick (and watched the baby while I went to the hospital).
Our friends from the medical college at a Thanksgiving party in our homel-r on sofa: Christina, Emda, Dr. Zhang (with son in lap), in pink is Eva who was also a big help
Our school nurse who has now taken care of all of our family members at one time or another. Remember Hunt's IV story?
