It started a couple of weeks ago. The weather started raging – rain-wise and the pressure in my head started tightening. It was as if my head were in a vice and someone was cranking down hard. Then I had trouble breathing, or rather, filling my lungs completely. I stopped working out in the hopes that more sleep and less physical stress would help me overcome.
I started snapping at everyone and was generally in ill humor and I felt like the students were taking me to my whits end.
Then I went home right after school one day and layed down. I didn’t get back out of bed for 3 days. My body ached, I writhed back and forth, I was a bit delirious. The next day the Admin at my school knocked on my door and said I should go to the doctor. I went, half knowing what I was doing. The taxi dropped me off at a clinic with 30 people waiting – outside, with no place to sit, no receptionist and no sign of a doctor. Then it started to rain. My body was having trouble standing there and the rain drops pushed me over the edge. I got back in the taxi and went home.
Three more days passed and I was able to rally in the late afternoon for my Newspaper Club. The issue had to go out. I met my team, we folded and delivered it and successfully planned the next months’ issue before I collapsed.
The next day was Halloween and although I was physically present in the classroom, I was in a complete fog. I floated through the day appropriately like a ghost. It was as if my chest had been scrapped out (from all the deep chest coughing I had been doing) and felt as if I had consumed copious amounts of caffeine as I was so shaky.
By Friday I was coherent again and the sun came out, the temperatures dropped, humidity was gone and the vice had un-screwed.
I have no idea what I had but as I have had Dengue Fever and Giardia before, it felt similar in pain and disorientation combined with the aches, chills, fever and cough of the flu. Yuck is all I can say.
My head is still a bit foggy and I am not 100% but a solid 90%. I can work with that.
So, this is all to say that I will write a proper blog soon with updates on life here in Myanmar.
Here’s to health!
Gretchen
Dear Gretchen, what dreadful week for you. And so grateful your strong body has re-newed itself. I hope you can pamper yourself for a while. Prayers from Gig Harbor, Sandy
Thanks Sandy! Feeling better every day.
Gretchen,
I am still worried for you and hope that you get some sound medical advice so you can avoid that “creature” and continue to heal. Thinking of you waiting for a doctor out on the street was difficult–you are one brave lady!
Please take care and be good to yourself.
In my thoughts,
Patty
Slowly mending. Thanks for the thoughts. Now just to get rid of the incessant cough and I’ll be good to go.
Karen – Hi.
Yes, just got another round of it, not as bad, but miserable. Ugh. But still working so that is good. Just launched our big Clean Water Campaign Fundraiser so that is exciting. I’ll be writing a post about it soon.
Fun to think Oliver will be emailing. Have him send a photo of himself too so I can project it on the screen when I read his email.
As to math… by the time Oliver arrives we’ll be doing Perimeter and Area, Two-Dimensional shapes and then reviewing everything we learned over the year. So add, subtract, multiplication, division, fractions (basic), time, length, liquid volume, mass and the ones I mentioned above.
Language arts – we are doing a lot of reading and writing of stories and basic grammar. The ESL level is very low. Although the kids can read fairly well, they have a tough time speaking in clear sentences when they have to create the sentence themselves. Also – you should know that there is a 30 minute Myanmar language class every day. At this point it may be too much for Oliver. He can read or draw or we can come up with something to keep him interested and learning – but your call of course if you want him to try Myanmar.
Science has been consumed by learning about water, clean water, water cycle etc. We are almost through the books so I tend to make up a lot of stuff.
Social Studies – most likely by the time Oliver gets here we’ll be done with our textbook so I will be starting my Cultures Around the World project.
Hope that helps.
Looking forward to meeting you.
Gretchen