Feverish

Day 4 of my fever.

Slight. Shows up especially in the evenings. 99 to 100 F. A bit of body ache.

Probably related to some very rotten teeth. Procrastination takes on reality when it comes to postponing the trip to the dentist.

I am reminded of an English class in High School. We were taught by the amazing Kathy Hoffman, who is finishing off a long career at Woodstock School this year. The class was one of the English electives - it looked at the European writing. The book was Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon. It opens with the protagonist suffering from an agonising toothache - and a splitting headache because the tooth was linked to the optical nerve.
This excerpt from later in the novel - but still packs the punch.

My own headaches are slight - but the image is so powerful it has remained in my mind a good 23 odd years after we went through the book. Great literature sticks. And great teachers open minds.

For us, whenever we get a low grade fever, the first question we ask is: "is my appetite less?" We are constantly in touch with people who are in various levels of tuberculosis. It is not a question of whether - but more a question of when one of us will get it.

Not that it would be the end of the world of course. We believe in treatment - and will be taking the same course as we prescribe to our friends with HIV.

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A final thought. Such a small illness for me ... and yet so many of our friends with HIV face this on and on. Each time a fever comes, the question arises - what is it? Each time the question of whether to carry on or to rest. How much can you rest when you have to feed a family? How many times can you go to a doctor?

The wonderful care I get from my own family doctor - my dear beloved Sheba - the caring apprentice nurses and compounders in Asha and Enoch - the prayers that surround me - are such a blessing.

Would that others would also receive this in their times of illness.

In the Bible Jesus says - I was sick and you visited me... would that we would.