Aidilfitri Family Portrait 2009The day to celebrate our triumph over earthly desires we abstained during the month of Ramadan is here. Wish I could say the same with how I am feeling right now.
This year, it is bitter-sweet for me. Fallen sick just 4 days before Syawal, the incessant coughs especially at night has ravaged both my energy and zest to celebrate it enthusiastically.
After 43 years of illness-free celebrations, the flu has dampened my spirits somewhat as I experience for the first time difficulty to breathe.
A trip to the doctor last Thursday morning did some good, but the constant coughs still keep me wide awake at night. For several consecutive nights, I slept in the living room to avoid transmitting the disease to Wifey.
It also turned out to be the most longest weekend unexpectedly. And boy, it was a long, drawn-out and unpleasant days!
Being sick on a very special day like Hari Raya Aidilfitri is nothing short of party-pooper.
Firstly, I did not attend the morning Raya prayer this year. I look forward to go with Sonny like very year. The atmosphere has always been very joyful. Nothing short of fantastic as one hears the prayers and surrounded by happy faces, people in new and colorful Raya clothes.
By long and drawn-out, I mean I cannot last a minute on the bus, our economical commute to and from my in-laws' and my parents' places without breaking out into long incessant coughs.
The hard, phlegm-filled, lung-spewing cough while riding in the passenger-filled bus that will make any passenger weary of infection. So, we took the cab.
Though costly, at worst, apart from my own family, the cab driver would have gotten infected even at best we requested to have the windows wound down.
Tried my best to look fine, we had our family portrait taken like every year, before we left our home for Raya visiting. It did not turn out that convincing, though.
Spent an eternity at my in-law's place who came back to their Clementi home from KL, Malaysia to celebrate it here this year. My throbbing head felt like it was about to implode. I did not even touch the Raya cookies... against my better nature.
Wifey had to cut short our visit as we made our way to my parents' at Woodlands next.
I was the party-pooper. We left my parents' place as fast as we did from my in-laws'. I did not even "pig-out" at either of these two places which made Mom's quite worried for me.
We... well, I had a third place to visit too... the doctor's!
Once we reached home and had our dinner, I left for Raffles Medical that was still open until 9:00PM on public holdays. Thank God Almighty the company doctor opens during public holidays too and a short shuttle-bus ride to Tampines One Mall.
I reached there 10 minutes before it closed and got good drugs to relieve me of my present sufferings.
The Amoxcycillin antibiotics did the trick. Combined with Bromhexine to loosen the thick phelgm that constricted my chest and left me breathless, the Phenexpect cough syrup made me slept like a baby after so many sleepless nights.
It was like I found liberty. I was free to breathe again, free to sleep again.
Still under the weather... a very dark sky I might add, I strive to recover from my sickness. Nevertheless, I am happy that I can still see my in-laws and celebrate the day with my Mom and especially Dad... who had gone through so much during the past year.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri everyone!
I'm sorry you've been so sick! Do you suppose it's that new flu that's going around the world?
ReplyDeleteIm happy to hear the doctor did offer some relief. take care. I love seeing your pictures of you and family!
ReplyDeleteSandra
So sorry you got so sick with your bug or cold during this special festive and religious holiday month Muhd. I know that must have been so hard for you to try to muster and get through feeling so bad and lack of sleep.
ReplyDeleteI've just gotten over a cold or bug myself. It hit me so fast a few weeks ago. But I tried to do what I always do when I feel a cold or "bug" coming on...start on a decongestant, cough "thinner" pill, with aspirin in it all together. Then take liquid drops (in my green tea)of Echinachea and Goldenseal with a drop of aloe vera gel all mixed in every day! This did seem to lessen the symptoms and to keep it from getting really bad. It was the really bad sore throat that lasted for 5 days that was the most difficult to handle..could hardly swollen. We have had a bad fire here this week in the area where I live so that combined with the cold bug hasn't been fun. I'm trying to not go out much or take my walks, as the air is so bad right now.
I hope you are on the mend by the time you read this. Trying to persevere and "keep going" and "smile" when you feel like cr*p isn't fun...I feel for you. I hope no on else in your family gets it either.
I love the beautiful green color you and your family are all dressed in your shiny beautiful wardrobe. I see your son is holding a black cat in one of the photos. Is that your cat? I have a black cat with yellow eyes. Looks a lot like this one, but my "Lizzie" is long haired cat.
Stay well my friend...and be on the mend. You've been under a lot of pressure and stress (and believe me I know how that is)dealing with so much this year, so I can see where you would get run down. You have to take care of yourself also Muhd..not just everyone else..
Blessings,
Rhi
Dear One and Family ... You will find yourself soon much better and all the more grateful for knowing what good health is ... and I wish you free breathing, no constriction, restful sleep and no coughs! You and your family look handsome and beautiful in your new celebratory clothing ... and your home so welcoming. I could tell right away that the expression on your face was a bit different ... not your usual serene look or joyous smiles. Take my word for it, you will find yourself much healthier soon......and be sure to stay that way! My best to you all. SisSTAR
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone,
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming in. And apology for late replies. Not the best of health to spend much time on my Mac surfing or updating.
Donna | At first I thought it was the new strain of Swine Flu or now called H1N1 too. I don't have high fever of about 38 Degrees Celsius that is associated with it.
The doctor said it wasn't but just a case of very bad one with thick phlegm that restricted my breathing... the first time I had felt such in my life which was quite scary.
Sandra | It took 3 visit to the doctor and several days of medical leave of work. If I had the H1N1 virus, I would have been given 1 week of medical leaves and be self-quarantined at home, together with Wifey and Sonny.
This is the protocol we have here for this disease. It is now treated like any other flu and no longer considered a pandemic.
I will only be seen with such bright-colored clothing for this occasion only because it befits the festivities. It is how we keep our culture alive amid this fast moving cosmopolitan city life this island has transformed into the past decades.
Rhiannon | Thank you so much for your words of encouragements and the tips on natural healing for my bad cough. I would love to do that and stay away from all the chemical drugs. I'm not certain we can get those ingredients here easily or be certain of its purity being exported here but I will have to look around.
Your Coke remedy you told me about with bad cough was a good tip. I used it and my Dad does it too and has proved to help a lot. Now I pass the info around to my friends too.
The black cat Sonny is holding is our Lola, a stray cat that one day came right on our 4th floor front door.
He must have followed Sonny home and started to ask for food everyday and slowly our acceptance to allow him to come into our home to spend some time sleeping and be held by us before leaving.
We come to love our Lola and become worried if he does not show up after a day or so. Yes, it is a "he". We thought it was a "she" until my Sis came one day and confirmed it was male. We love it anyways.
Kylita | I'm getting better but for some reason, this is my first very bad experience with coughs that made me quite panicky when I could not breathe properly.
It is quite strange to me for it to linger more than a week and into the second. I had coughs and phlegm before, but never stretched to more than 4 to 5 days. Maybe it is a sign that I'm getting old and not as healthy as before.
You can read me so well, like and open book, dear Sis. I took a second look at my photos and realized what you said was apparent. It shows that I was not my goodself how hard I tried to hide it for the family portrait.
I am looking forward to be better again, eat good food again; do my workouts and ride on my bike again. For now, I'm stuffed full of drugs from the doctor until I get better.
Thank you again everyone. Hope you health is much, much better than mine and you all are happy to receive the colorful Autumn.