Where's my mommy? I'm sick!

I'm firmly convinced that one of the worst sensations is being sick away from home or being sick alone.  I'm in my late 20's now and nothing makes me want to be in my mom's house with her as company more than being sick.

Courtesy of www.uu.edu

Last year I decided to stay in Spain for Christmas.  I thought it would be nice to experience how they celebrate.  It was fine until I got a horrible flu two days before Christmas.  I was home alone, miserable in bed.  Most of the city and my friends had left for their homes days before.  I felt like an island, cliche but true. After three days inside, I had to get out just to get some popsicles and fresh air.  I made a full recovery a day or so after than only to get a whopping chase of food poisioning.  I was on the phone to my mom, once again wishing I was there. As a child she was the best for a kid with a flu.  Cold wash rag on your forehead, popsicles or ice chips, soup, the tv remote and a soft, safe voice asking if you needed anything and reminding you that you'd feel better soon.

Now that I've been traveling for several years, I've gotten sick a LOT away from home.  Last month I struggled to get myself to the clinic to find out I had a throat infection.  Ojek's aren't nearly as much fun with a screaming headache on the way to the doctor.  Then again, neither are subway rides.  I've also gotten a lot of different kinds of sick as one could imagine. In Indonesia, food poisoning is more common than the common cold.

Lately there's been a spate of viruses flying about my school.  A teacher was out last week with what is presumed to be Dengue fever (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_fever). There are at least 2 other strains of virus causing everything from headaches and diarrhea to rash, exhaustion and fever. A couple of guys at work were out 3 or 4 days last week after becoming very rapidly ill.  I'm fighting something different.  It's a kind of "ill" I've not experienced before.  I am lethargic, like I can never sleep enough.  Even after 7 or 8 hours sleep, I am struggling to get up and peel myself out of bed in the morning.  My back muscles are more sore than they've ever been before. I'm getting headaches most days and I have these strange tiny pink, blue and purple veins which are quite visible on my legs.  They just popped up two days ago.  I don't know what it is; a friend suggested low grade Dengue.  Since it started two weeks ago I've had other symptoms that show up for a couple days and then leave.  I don't know what it is but I wish it would go away. Here's hoping several days of lounging on the beach and sleeping in will do the trick.