Motherly Concern...Alive and Active!

Anyone that knows me knows that I'm not a big believer in medicine and going to the doctor. Many times I have said "I'm building up my immunity so I can survive in the nursing home." This theory has some truth but is more just something to get people laughing and talking about something else rather than my "illness". I don't take medicine and rarely jump at the opportunity to get pinched, poked and prodded at a place called the doctors office...except for during my pregnancy where that cannot be avoided. I try alot of other measures to try and keep myself healthy in order to avoid sitting in a room waiting for a long time with snotty, coughing, germ infested people. It's like sitting in a petri dish. Yucky!

This aspect of my character drives my mother crazy. Even as a child, the only time I wanted to go to the doctor was to confirm my 106 temperature that was just calculated on a thermometer that I held under my lamp in bed to escape going to school.  Now I know, many times, my mother hangs up the phone or leaves a visit shaking her head thinking, "One day she'll understand my concern." Well, today I did. Where I work we had a confirmed case of the H1N1 flu virus and I have been exposed to it. I felt myself tense up as I was told about and wondering what could be done to keep me from getting it, had I had contact with this individual, will I get sick, and.....drumroll please....I've got to call my doctor and get some medicine to prevent this.

What just went through my mind? Calling a doctor (that I now have on speed dial)? Taking medicine? Had I just given into my mother's 27 year baggering about involving medical personnel in my life? I don't think so, but I do know that my own motherly concern is now alive and active. Any other day I would have gone about my day as normal and lived without concern. But today I found myself contacting my doctor 4 times in a day to get the answer for questions I had until I was comfortable with the answer and standing in line waiting for my prescription to Tamiflu which I began to take tonight to help prevent symptoms. My son has taken over, and I am grateful. What a humbling and endearing experience to be responsible for someone else and to be able to concern yourself with someone else other than yourself.

I feel good about the plan my doctor and I have established and my co-workers have been very helpful and supportive of me and not making me go places in our unit where it would be more exposure to the virus. We'll continue to live healthy and aware of germs around us. Matthew, germs are bad!!!!