Most of us take it our health for granted, me included. We exercise to stay healthy, try and eat right and maintain our sanity at work and try to attend church, that refocuses to look outside of ourselves, even if just for a few moments. Then something happens, seconds lapse into moments and those to hours and then are gone. Test, more tests, internet for consultation, (not the best) back to the doctor and then home again. When all fails after days of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea , and head-aches, we finally relinquish our human powers and let the experts take over.
I called a friend to take me to hospital since all family members were out of town. Humiliated by not being able to drive myself due to the Vertigo I had been diagnosed with, I gingerly removed myself from the bathroom floor, heaved over la toilet, and stealthily moved into the front seat of her car. Being Italian I hung on for dear life. I focused my eyes on the bottom of a R & W bag which almost worked till the last round about when I lost it. Fluid started coming out and not even the willpower of a rock could stop it. A young man at the hospital flopped me into a wheelchair like a sack of potatoes and kindly removed the bag and gave me a nice pink bucket. I held on while Sue, my friend parked the car and was even kind enough to hang on for the nurse to take my vitals. And, then in front of 14 other patrons in the weighting room, my body lashed out 5 times, before Sue could swivel me around obstacles and into washroom they all knew who I was. Hanging onto the guardrails for dear life, wafts of fluid escaped me. At first sounds of rushing mountain streams or gushing brooks could have simulated the chant. Yet the haunting dry heaves that escaped my vocals, not even I could comprehend. From deep within vast convulsions escaped, no horror movie could duplicate. My body rocked back and forth shoulders heaving as air sucked into my lungs crying as only horses can as it exhaled.
I hadn't looked up yet, as the vertigo would rush down into my innards and send another wave. My eyes cast downward for 2 hours I begged for time to past or my name to be called. And, once finally inside I thought my body would have the decency to grace doctors and nurses with some sort of decorum. But no, yellow mustard bile escaped me in rockets bringing humiliation to a halt. There was nothing more. I passed out, like any decent human should have done hours ago.
Thus today, days later I am not recovered no where close, yet I bless the Lord for the health I have too often taken for granted, for my body that has up until now given me few, very few ailments. How is it that this has to occur for me to stop in my tracks and take note.
For those that have endured far more my heart is with you, especially those with dizziness, and nausea, I humbly bow at the feasts you must be going through and pray for your recovery. Let us take a moment and vow when we say grace to remember our bodies...one and all, for the glory they are.
