Cliche. The same story repeated again and again.
Life is always full of human plans, but almost always, the plans changed before they even began - no matter how well you've planned them.
This weekend was supposed to be a great weekend - a long awaited weekend. I was one of the organising committee members for a SEM course which was held at Sutra Beach Resort to all teachers of my school. I was supposed to be the speaker for one of the slots. Kak Zaini, who was in charge of the room distribution put my name as her roommate, for she knew she would get another complimentary room for herselfd (she's a regular there), and so I could take my family along (Well, working on weekend won't be that bad when you have everyone you love around you, right?). Hubby even turned down an invitation to be the referee for UMT Rugby Opens this weekend. Why were we planning for all these? Well - today is Aleeya's 7th birthday! She loves hotel rooms and she just gets so excited everytime you mention swimming pool to her. So we planned. I would attend the course, hubby would take the kids swimming whenever they want to, then, today, after the course ends at noon, we would take out a "surprise birthday cake" for Aleeya, we would share the cake with my colleagues & their kids by the swimming pool. Ahh... I'm sure Aleeya would be very delighted for we actually NEVER, i repeat NEVER celebrate her birthday with other people before. It's always "just the 3 of us" and "just the 4 of us" when Ammar arrived.
So that was the plan.
I was literally down with fever 4 weeks ago (before I went to Cameron Highlands, before we went back to KL...). I thought I have fully recovered. I thought the same illness won't be attacking again, I mean not too soon. Yet, Allah knows what's best. Last weekend we went back to KL (read previous entry). Though my bro-in-law Khairul was diagnosed with ILI, and hubby's left eye started to get sore, swollen & watery, I didn't foresee anything bad coming. Yet on the travel day back from KL to KT, my stomach started to feel uneasy, I felt like vomitting, and my head was dizzy. I thought it was nothing, perhaps it was just fatigue after a night preparing serunding pegaga for my sis-in-law. I promised to meet my students at 8 pm but I only arrived at school at 9pm due to the stomachache.
On Monday hubby was on MC - his left eye was getting more severe & his temperature was rising to 39 degree celcius. I was busy with the visit by YB Ahmad Razif and Pengarah JPNT (the story is kept for later ok?). Though the visit went great, it was very satisfying and all, I couldn't enjoy much when I got home, to see hubby weak, lying in bed all day through. We went to a clinic that night (not Balqis because there were too many people there that night). Doc gave hubby another MC but U know my hubby, he refused to use the MC. He went to school anyway on Tuesday, and took his mentee for dinner that night at T-Cafe Gong Badak. Meanwhile, my throat was starting to feel dry, dizziness has never left, in fact my head started to spin.
Oh did I mention that I was supposed to go to a school nearby (TIPTOP) on Thursday, to share whatever little knowledge I have on a subject I taught at school to a group of SPM students there? Yes, I was not feeling well, but I had to do a lil preparation for that too. I couldn't sit in front of the laptop that night, so hubby told me to sleep and he was the one searching for materials to use. I OWE HIM SO MUCH! However, again, it was just a plan. When I arrived at school on Wednesday, the fever has started kicking severely - I spent the first 4 periods teaching my form 5 classes, yet I left my other classes after recess, (surprisingly all of them did the modules, thank you kids! I know I can trust you guys). I spent most of my time after recess with my head on the table. My PK 1 (who is very-very supportive) told me to call TIPTOP to postpone the talk. Luckily it was my bro-in-law who's in charge. We postpone that session to Sunday (I don't even know if I can make it - Sunday means tomorrow). My PK 1 told me to go home and rest. I couldn't. My head was spinning. Hubby had a graduation day rehearsal and right after that he had a rugby friendly match with SMKA Tok Jiring. Can U imagine him? With eye-sore & high fever, he still did all that? Kak Zaini offered to drive me home but I refused politely. I didn't want to burden her. So I drove slowly, reached home at 3pm, solat, and slept until hubby came home after rugby - in sweats - not because of the game, but more of his illness.
That night we went to the same clinic again - this time around Balqis was closed - so we had no choice but to go to that clinic, though we've made a vow not to go there again. Simply because the doc was not friendly like Dr Zamzuri, the med was very expensive (cost us RM130 that night), and she was not offering any explanation regarding our illness. All she said was - the temperature is high - mine is 39 degree celcius and hubby 38. We asked for her to take our blood sample. She did, but told us that it won't be able to detect H1N1, just to see if there's any virus or other illness. Nev mind. We "donated" our blood anyway. No harm done.
When I reached home, both of us lied down in the living room - couldn't raise our heads. Aleeya was taking care of us both. She kept my head wet and cool with wet towel, she gave me water to drink, massaged me... She said she's a doctor. I felt so touched. But then, I woke up at 2 am, and to my surprise, I saw her crying. Oh My God, her body felt so warm! She was feverish as well! I tried to wake hubby but he didn't wake up! With my heavy head, all I could do was to return the favour, it was my turn to put the wet towel on Aleeya's head. Ya Allah, it wasn't right for me to ask, but I did ask anyway (at that time) "why is this happening to me...". Astaghfirullah...
Then.... The next day was a blur... I remembered waking up, changed my FB status on the Ipod, then went back to my distracted sleep. Hubby said he felt slightly better so he went to school, leaving me and Aleeya at home. My neighbour who's been trying so hard to sell his 4Life Transfer Factor came to my house right after hubby left. It was just the right timing. He gave me the product's capsules & tea. I consumed everything - the 4Life product, the med from the clinic. Nothing much changed. Hjh Sa'diah (the principal), Kak Mie (the PK1) and Kak Zaini kept on messaging me - thank you for the moral support. They told me to forget about the course - but you know I can't. Knowing that you're not there when people need you the most - that drove me insane! I know I'm stubborn. I know it all along, even before Pijot my dearest darling sent me a text message "Degil! Aku doakanlah agar korunk x ada apa2 n sembuh cpt tp DEGIL!" after 3 attempts at trying to make me forget about going to the course & do other school work. Thank you Pijot for saying (writing) it, I know you wanted to say it for so long! I appreciate your concern dear! But old habits die hard. Yesterday after we got back from Hospital Setiu, I did my slides, and passed my pen drive to Mr Hamid my colleague who dropped by to pick it up. He said, K. Zaini felt "patah sebelah kaki" without me. I feel sooo guilty. But then last night Kak Zaini said that she'll keep the slot for me, maybe for another LADAP course or SEM course next year, and so she'll take over my slot today to do something else. Thank you Kak Zaini, you're my life saviour too! Kak Mie and Hjh Sa'diah kept texting me, advising me not to go to sutra - so that I can rest - but how can I rest when Aleeya is still not showing any improvement?
Oh by the way, did I mention Hospital Setiu? Yes, we went there yesterday - but they refused to do the ILI test because we didn't have any chronic disease & we didn't have ALL the symptoms - we had high temperature, sore throat, headache, but NO FLU. Though we had direct contact with Khairul (who had ILI), they said no throat swab should be done. Err... I guess they know best. I showed them the antibiotics we got from the clinic, they were surprised - the AB is among the strongest AB already. So no new med was given to me. Only Aleeya got her antibiotics, hubby got his eyedrop and Ammar got his calamine lotion for his eczema (what else can a govt hosp give?). They said not to worry too much, and come back if the condition worsens. I hope not.
By the way, I said I'm dizzy - then what am I doing sitting here writing this very long entry? Because I'm going crazy if I don't share my feeling with anyone right here right now. Hubby is at Primula Hotel this morning for his school's graduation day. I just gave Aleeya her antibiotics & Panadol. And though I didn't sleep much last night, the need to write is more than the need to sleep. Now that I've written my feeling, I feel such a relief. Thank you for reading.
Oh - Happy 7th birthday Aleeya - Umi will write another special entry for you, princess!
