
Not long after I messaged my mom that I have been staying healthy and never got sick in the past two or so months since returning to Canada, I started feeling unwell on Monday. Couldn’t remember the last time I got sick, but living alone and still hadn’t had my health card renewed with the new address made this experience felt especially vulnerable.
Good thing there was a drug store in the mall just across the street, but going out in the cold was still a drag. I tried the counter drugs I used to take when I was living in Canada. They seemed to be too strong for someone who hadn’t been taking any counter drugs for years. The side effects made my initial symptoms even worse. I felt so weak that I couldn’t exert a drop of energy to do any work other than sleep, drink plenty of fluid, and simply try to survive.
Eventually and thankfully, after 3 or more days, I’m now more or less recovered, although still not feeling 100%. This episode had forced me to put a pause in life for a few days. Grateful that this happened after I finished moving and was more or less settled at my new home. I now feel even more grateful that I am alive and breathing and not to take that for granted. And as an added bonus, I finally tried using a new rice cooker my friend helped me buy and successfully made congee in my first attempt! 😬