Imbolc Valentine Moon
We’re a matched pair. Hair uncombed, vacant looks, wan smiles, in and out of bed during the day and the night. My bout with this virus, probably an adenovirus, is a week old today. 1 to 2 weeks according to the home medical advisor: Kate. Let it be less than 2 weeks. Please.
Last night the sore throat kept the good things coming. Coughing, clearing my throat. Going back to sleep. Waking up. You know how it goes. Any thought of swallowing? X.
Which meant I got awful thirsty. Not a good fit with the sore throat. Ice chips! I’d seen Kate in post-op recovery often enough to remember these. Got some. My entire menu for the day so far, one cereal bowl filled with ice chips. Brings up something else. After months of nudging Kate to eat, all of a sudden I don’t want to. Hurts to swallow. Not hungry. What’s the point?
As you can tell the glass is less than half full, at least I think so, the glass itself being opaque for the most part.
Really shouldn’t do this, look up adenovirus on the net. I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die! Well, yes. But most likely not right now. When I did, I found that, as with most viruses, the treatment is supportive. In other words, wait.
Nothing we can do. No choice, I know that, but god, what a word, wait. In common use it often means do nothing while something awful continues until it stops. Like this damned adenovirus (or, whatever) rummaging around in the closets, storage areas, kitchen, living room. Hey, you there! Stop what you’re doing and go. That would be supportive, too.
These diseases are like the old Lords of Misrule from medieval times. They come in, take over, put things wrong way round, upset life. When the illness or the festival is done, matters return to normal. The King or the Duke or the Baron in charge once again, but this time with a renewed sense of the value they bring. Order, equilibrium, homeostasis. Oh. Yeah. This is what it is to feel well. So I suppose they do play a role, reminding us of our mortality and our frailty, reminding us of what it means to be healthy. But. I’ve had my reminder for this biennium. And I’ve paid attention. So, quit already.