TMD: The Measles Diary, A Walk-Thru from A First-Hand Experience
I once thought that measles is just the rash version of the chicken pox. Funny how I’m well surrounded by friends who are in med school and I never actually cared to ask what this disease is about.
So for the benefit of those who are like me--although I kinda wish there aren't a lot of ignorant people here HAHA--allow me to give you a walk thru on my unglorified measles experience.
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Day 0 – COLDS January 31, Friday I was out on a date and everywhere we went, I just felt cold. I had thick knits and still I was complaining about the cold temperature of Manila. I thought it was just Manila. :)) I was sneezing and having runny nose and I didn’t know I was slightly having fever. Too much for thinking we had an extended Christmas weather. :))
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Day 1 – FEVER, COLDS AND COUGH February 1, Saturday So I stayed home the whole Saturday because I was on 38 to 39’s.
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Day 2 – SUPER FEVER February 2, Sunday When I reached 40 C, we finally decided to head to Medical City.
Thing here is, since I did not have rashes, they only saw my fever, my colds and cough and something else (totally unrelated) from the test. I was seen to have UTI and was made to go home with a couple of antibiotics.
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Day 3 – RASHES AND VOMITING February 3, Monday So I took the day off from work and rested at home. But little by little, I was starting to grow rashes on my face. Then, I was already very weak. But because a tooth was hurting that time, I decided to visit my dentist in the afternoon. (Fever, headache and toothache. Di marunong mamili ng oras yung ngipin ko!)
When I got there, my dentist said she couldn’t do anything because I’m having high fever. She can’t do much any operation when that’s my current state. Better get high on painkillers. (Hahaha! Okay, she did NOT actually say that.)
And then she noticed I was building rashes on my face and my neck. And in the afternoon, I vomited what I ate. That’s when we decided to return to Medical City. And that’s when I got admitted.
Yes, that's how my face looked like, and how my back looked like too.
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Day 4 – “You are most contagious when you are healing.” February 4, Tuesday OK THANKS DOC. That means I can have visitors today. Hahaha! Thanks Janelle and Nicolai for visiting. Because of them, I felt light and cared for and I got my food craving. (Not that it really helped. I couldn’t eat much anything because I couldn’t taste them and my appetite was really low.)
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Day 5-6 – SUPER RASHES, LOW APPETITE. February 5-6, Wednesday to Thursday These were the days when my rashes were really bad and I still wasn’t eating much anything. My ex-boyfriend, Kevin, also visited me on Day 5.
It really felt nice to have visitors because during those times in bed, you really can’t do much. So those people who were brave enough to visit you despite your disease being contagious are a real win.
Can't believe I'm really posting a selfie. HAHA
But what’s interesting is that tests showed that my liver was pretty bad. Where the number should have been about 75, mine was 1000. (The doctor kept on asking if I was alcoholic. HAHAHA! Ako?!?! Asa.) As they did tests, it showed that it was a reaction of my internal organs to the measles.
This measles. So complicated!
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Day 7 – GETTING BETTER February 7, Friday The fever was gone. The appetite was high. The rashes were slowly fading.
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Day 8 – DISCHARGED BUT ISOLATED February 8, Saturday Without fever, I was made to leave. I still felt weak but I was excited to go home as well so I was cooperative. My parents were asked to put me in isolation and to keep using the surgical mask at home.
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Day 9 – VAMPIRE-MODE February 9, Sunday Bright lights hurt my eyes. I didn’t expect it to be bad, but it really was. It was like that in the hospital too but I only thought it was because I had colds and I had high fever why my eyes would tear up. When I got home, it felt worse so I had to text Brother Didoy to ask why it was like that.
He said, “…The eye sensitivity to light may be because of dryness due to a generalized inflammation of the body because of the virus. Get rehydrated with a lot of water.”
Now that one was new.
So maybe because I had dextrose in the hospital, it was manageable. But when I got home, I got to experience the worst part in the light reaction. I researched it in Google too and learned that most patients would really like to be kept in a dark room. And it was really what happened to me. I would snap whenever someone would open the light in my room. My eyes really reacted pretty badly. Felt like a vampire. :))
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Day 10-12 – 20/20 VISION GONE February 10-12, Monday to Wednesday I was fine to be on sick leave and not work for two straight weeks. I was okay to stay at home and be isolated, but could I at least use my laptop and watch movies and do things productive?
No.
And that killed it! Because I had problem with my eyes, I couldn’t read much anything. After some time reading things from my phone, my eyes would get tired and I’d had to keep them away. Worse, I tried to use my laptop and everything was misty and a blur. I had to squint to see things. I would near my eyes to the screen to about five-inch distance just to get what I was reading. It was so bad. I couldn’t enjoy my rest and isolation.
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Day 13 – PRE-VALENTINES February 13, Thursday I got a visitor this day. And I was surprised with a Malayan Seafood Laksa from Banana Leaf. My favoriteeeee! Good thing my appetite was already back.
This visit urged me to really rest so I’d be fine the next day and be allowed to go out for Valentines Day (since it’s been already a long isolation, and my cough was already gone, it was safe to assume that I was not contagious anymore).
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Day 14 – VALENTINES DAY February 14, Friday I already felt fine but I still had to rest the whole day. I got another surprise visit and a Valentines gift, flowers and food during lunchtime, which made the day feel really nice. By dinnertime, I was allowed to go out so I got to have my Valentines date.
Honestly, I actually felt that I could get tired easily. I made sure we wouldn’t stay out late, because after long walks in the mall I was feeling dehydrated (the kind that’s unignorable) and my head was nearing to having an ache.
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Day 15 – THE END February 15, Saturday This day I was assigned to serve in church so I was certain that I’d really go out of the house. I felt fine. I was excited to get out again. But when I was in the worship service, I felt really thirsty the whole time. I guess when you’re sick, your body would continuously ask for water.
While we were eating dinner, I easily felt tired and felt like I already wanted to sleep (if not for the things I needed to shop for). So I guess that concludes that at recovery period, I’m really not allowed to tire myself.
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Day 16 – HI, WORLD. I’M REALLY REALLY BACK. :) February 16, Sunday So as I write this on Day 16, I’m really really happy to get my good health back and my 20/20 vision. Everything feels fine and I’m just excited to get to work tomorrow. And to go out and go shopping today for my Hong Kong trip this week. Hahaha! Yes, after I get super duper well, I will travel. <3
So there. I’m wrapping this up because I’m going out to shop. I love that I’m really okay now. Thanks for all who gave their well-wishes and those who prayed for me! :)
xx
