Health Scare

Work has been going smooth nowadays. Almost everyday we get to work in the packhouse already. All thanks to the sunny days we are having lately. Since the weather had been really accommodating lately, the pickers get to work and we packers get to pack.

It’s really a dream come true to us. We have dreamed about days like this God knows how many days. All’s well and we are happy and contented. Despite work gets boring (well, it is repetitive and monotonous after all) we will still go to work and money is really a great motivator.

I knew this is too good to be true. I just knew it!

Finally my deepest fear came true.

Sick. Illness.

Medication.

Doctor.

I never thought this will one day happen to me. God how I wish it wasn’t me. Why me????

Warning: don’t read on if you do not want to read my description of my illness.

One fine Sunday as usual after work we came back home, cook dinner and bath before sleep. While in the shower, I realized that my back is not quite the same and there’s patches of red spots on my upper body. These red spots were a little itchy as well.

But I shrugged it off and ignored it thinking it will go away the next morning. I wanted to tell others but then I don’t want to appear like a baby and whine every single moment I get so I didn’t.

The next morning, the red spots did not disappear as I hoped! Damn! What is happening to me???? Truth to be told, I was beginning to feel scared over it. I mean, what sort of diseases I have caught??? I just know it is a symptom of allergy of some sort.

At this point, I still keep mum about it and go to work as usual. It wasn’t until my supervisor noticed the spots I am having and asked me if I have some sort of allergy. Then I know this is really getting serious if she can see it even when I was wearing a sweater.

At that moment, I was like, “oh shit, this is really getting bad if it is showing on my arm and face” She says she saw red pactches on my neck and ear and that my face swell a little. We both tried to find out the cause of my allergy. Was is soap? Shampoo? Diet? Kiwi?

I don’t know. I seriously can’t pinpoint the cause of it. At this point, I am really getting itchy all over. To make things worse, my eyes swell and I can’t open my eye lid to the fullest!

This time, during smoko (break time) I rushed to the toilet and have a good look at myself in the mirror. (looking into the mirror is kinda a luxury to me as our house got limited mirror and most of the time, the mirror is steamed all over after shower -.-“

For the first time I had a clear view of myself. How my eyes are swollen and red spots begins showing a little on my neck, ear, forehead and eye lash area. Some red spots also appear on the cleavage area. Of course, the rest are at my back where you can’t help but feel like scratching it every moment you get.

This time, everyone spotted my problem already. Twister thinks it is “fong mok” which is allergy to dirty things or surrounding. The only things we can suspect is our workplace, which is dusty from the kiwi furs especially the grading table area which I currently work at. Another possible explanation is the bed I am using now is dirty.

With everyone’s help, I tried my very best not to scratch my body. Gradually, I feel that my eyes are not so swollen anymore as I can open my eyes completely and I take it as a good sign of recovery. I was so happy beyond relief. Hopefully my rashes will go away soon too. Even my supervisor notice my “recovery” She commented that my face is not so swollen anymore.

Boy, was I wrong!

Yes, my eyes are not swollen anymore and my face are not covered with rashes. BUT, my upper lip started to swell. SHIT!!!!!! By the end of the working day, my upper lip is half swollen!!!! If I wasn’t feeling any fear previously, I definitely do now. I was so so so afraid that I almost broke down crying.

Godzilla keeps suggest that we go see a doctor but finally I decided to wait for another day and see how it goes. I have some medication for swell and anti-allergy at home and I planned to see if it works.

Hence we went home, take a bath, eat medicine and apply dermatitis cream on my body and pray for recovery.

Twister says normally the rashes would go away in a day or two so I was clinging to the comforting words to sleep.

As you can probably guess by now, no the rashes did not fade away. My upper lip is even more swollen than the night before. This time, I really broke down and cry during breakfast. I am sure Dinosaur, Godzilla and Twister were uncomfortable to witness crying scene early in the morning. But I just can’t help it.

I also experience some stomach pain at this moment. Since I was not feeling my best and emotionally fragile, I decided to skip work today. Also I feel sad to lose my income for a day, but then I really don’t think I can go to work and act as though nothing happened. I don’t think I can face the curious stare and concern enquiries from colleagues.

No I definitely can’t face all this yet. I prefer to hide out and sleep away the morning. Hopefully this nightmare will go away ASAP.

I wonder how expensive it will get to pay a visit to the doctor here? This idea is starting to appeal to me provided the doctor can miraculously make all these rashes and swell go away in an instant. IN that case, I really don’t mind paying!