Was it a Thursday or Wednesday? I do not remember, but I knew it was supposed to be another day to witness the beauty of the blue sky and the effects of the rain on the blooming flowers of the flamboyant tree, but my body had a different plan.
My chest was swollen, but there was no pain except that my breathe seized. I hardly ever come down with illness even though my genotype is not AA, the feeling was strange. I couldn’t ignore it because it was still the season of corona virus. Could it be that I have the virus? I called my dad, and our thoughts aligned, so, he instructed me to try the ‘first test/aid’ to knowing if I had contracted the virus.
Few minutes later, my head was well wrapped around a bowl of hot water with my lungs trying to survive the hot steam that I tried to inhale. I coughed like I would die, but boy did I try again. Lol. The day was so special and too good to be disturbed by something I had no idea about, so, I tried again. It was like hell already, so, I stopped trying and texted my dad, “I’m on my way home already”. For someone who hardly goes home, my dad knew it was a bit serious.
I had about three hours to get home. I shouldn’t run out of oxygen within those hours, so, I saved my energy the best way I could. I was hungry, but eating would block the path of the little air passing to the lungs, so, I just sat in the bus taking about 1 breathe in 2 minutes, hoping to get home in one piece.
Dad saw me looking all white and pale and he couldn’t even say much. He mounted the bike, held me tight, and off we went to the hospital. One different from the one I used to know. I don’t know why he chose to use there on that day though. Instinct maybe or just because it was just not another day to die.
After many hours and days of struggling, I got a bit better, and asked the doctor what the diagnosis was because all those dramas and scenes that played had me absent. I don’t fall sick. I mostly attain the position of a caregiver instead.
Ermmm… I’m sorry, but I don’t know specifically, the doctor said. The tests we ran showed nothing, so, we are not sure until we run some other ‘more expensive’ tests, and I would need to consult some other experts.
Weeks later after all the tests, still nothing.
Weeks, months, series of tests, recurring hospital admissions, and gradually, it turned into years, still, I lived with a nameless ailment with so many precautions to live by.
3 years later, I can see the sun shining brightly. Even though I missed the sight of the blooming flamboyant tree, I’ve seen and I’m still seeing many blooming flowers today. My energy keeps growing daily to return to the active me that it used to be, and here I am writing about it without my body shaking, nor my legs feeling heavy, and most importantly, my lungs are back to normal, and my breathing is back to the normal range per minute as it should be.
So yeah, the most important asset I have right now is my life, and for that I AM GRATEFUL.
Image is mine.