Health Is Wealth

How corny and cliché is the title. Yet, so true.

 

This little family of 4 is poorer already and it is only the second day into the new year. The seasonal flu has gotten to us all.

 

PCMC is full of other sickly patients. With the central registration moved to the lobby, there is no escaping "other people's sickness". It has been a couple of month since we were able to walk directly into specialists' clinic for registration, consultation and payment. Only the women and child wing on level 6 remain convenient, but the traffic in there is a real put off. I don't mean to be snobbish but I miss the good old days when there were just fewer patients!

 

Bean did not even get to his paed. Instead we had to take him to a GP at Twin Towers Medical Centre today (the paed at TTMC is only available on Tuesday). Thankfully, his appetite remain good despite his watery eyes, cough, sneeze and runny nose. We could have put him through the ER at PCMC but the queue was madding too! Triage for young one who is not bleeding or knocked out cold is low priority.

 

The Little Girl was the first to catch this flu and passed it to me (she still sleeps on my pillow breathing into my face and holds my hands nightly). The Other Half then caught it from her as well (endless rounds of grocery shopping, holding hands, coughing into his face) and he passed it on to Bean (they share a room, little one in the cot and big man on the super single bed). One big happy family of mutated flu strain.

 

Round of antibiotics, paracetamol, cough syrup and lozenges for everyone except Bean (he gets only the paracetamol, lucky/unlucky him!). Treating only the symptoms. The flu just has to run its course. The Little Girl has yet to start on her antibiotics. She just isn't the best patient when it comes to taking her medicine so we can't start something we know she won't finish.

 

Everyone shares the same diet for now. Puree, much to the delight of this sickly chef! We added some cous cous and fruits on the side. You wouldn't believe how gloriously golden a 200g slice of pumpkin, 2 sweet potatoes, 3 large potatoes, and 4 carrots worth of soup can turn into. After blending it with a cup of milk, it tastes like fluffy cream instead of soup. Very, very filling too. Maybe we can all just have this for dinner and be healthier for good (will update on success/failure with purple carrot with purple beet for purple soup and green broccoli, green spinach, green whatever else green soup adventures next time).

 

The point is, health is wealth. Wealth not just in terms of monetary sense, but wealth of life. The ability to enjoy everything that life has to offer. This flu has certainly been a wake up call to our complacency.

 

1. Always wash hands.

2. Always keep nasal passage clear (Nasal saltwater spray once daily especially for the little ones).  

3. Drink sufficient water/juice/soup - fluids in general (tea and coffee do not count).

 

In sha Allah, we will recover soon and be on our merry way again.