Last Wednesday, I stepped into the Gas Station Chicken Store during a lull. I was the only customer. My favorite clerk was working, a day earlier than she normally does. She was near the soda fountain, and said "I'll be right there."
"It's just me. I'm never in a hurry."
When she came to the counter, she stopped, put her hand on her forehead, and said, "Whew! I guess I turned too fast. I'm really lightheaded." She proceeded to scan my winners, but had to stop. Take a breath. Concentrate on what she was doing. "I don't know what's wrong. I just don't feel right."
"Bend over and put your head down lower than your heart. It lets the blood flow back to your brain."
She did so, and said she felt a little better.
"Don't worry about me. If you need to go sit down, I can wait. Or I can come back later."
"No. I'll be okay. That's just weird. I don't know what's going on."
She seemed like her old self again, though moving in slow motion. Another customer came in, so I headed on my way. The next day, Thursday, she didn't mention anything, and appeared normal.
On Friday, I noticed that the OTHER clerk's car was parked out front. Huh. That was unusual. I wondered if they'd switched up the schedule, or if The Fave had taken off for the local school's homecoming weekend.
Every day, I scanned the parking lot before turning in. Still that other gal's car. Huh. Was something wrong? I was dying to ask, but didn't want to look like a stalker. Also, I didn't want to stir up something if The Fave had been.... fired! Surely not. But you never can predict the whims of the Woman Owner.
I was starting to worry as time dragged on with no sign of The Fave. She usually works 4 days in a row. Predictable enough to set my calendar. But The Other had now been working for 6 DAYS!
On the 7th day, there was no car out front. My hopes were raised. Sometimes The Fave has her truck there, sometimes not. As I was hobbling in, I heard an exiting customer say, "See you tommow, Fave." Could it be? YES! The Fave was back!
"Where have you been? I've been worried about you!"
"I had pneumonia. I finally broke down and went to the ER."
"Did they keep you?"
"No. They let me go, with medicine. Said I had pneumonia."
The man who was leaving, putting his tickets for the gas drawing in the box, said, "Did you have The Virus? My mother died of that. The Virus Pneumonia."
"No. They tested me, but said I didn't have it."
"I spent four days in the hospital with pneumonia. They told me it was The Virus Pneumonia, but my discharge papers said Community Acquired Pneumonia. Meaning that I didn't catch it in the hospital."
"It was written on my mother's death certificate."
"Well, I don't have THAT, anyway! But I'm still not quite over it. Even though I'm really glad to be working again."
So... mystery solved. I guess she was coming down with it during that dizzy bout. I'm really glad to see that The Fave is okay.
4 comments:
I am glad she is okay and went to the ER! I am dizzy, but I ma sure I don't have pneumonia. I have a stethoscope and listened after I read this. No abnormal lung sounds. When I was 11 I was feeling bad for several weeks. My grandmother thought laxatives were cure-alls. She mixed up some castor oil with orange juice and demanded I drink every nasty drop. Made me sicker and I threw it up. Three days later my mother finally took me to a doctor (Navy kid and it was free, amking me wonder why she didn't take me earlier. Back then they called it walking pneumonia. Not sure why, I mean I did walk into the office. I was in the hospital for 4 days on oral antibiotics. They were ready with a big shot of penicillan, but since my mother left me on my own, I told them I thought I was allergic to it. I am not, but I didn't get a shot!
Kathy,
Yeah, I was worried when she wasn't acting like herself. Not sure about your dizziness, but The Pony had it today at work. He's been fighting a cold, but said after an extra break, with a drink and a snack, he felt better. So maybe he shouldn't be skipping lunch.
Glad you avoided a shot! I AM allergic to penicillin, but didn't know it until I was 23, and had a reaction to it prescribed by a dentist after wisdom teeth extraction. It sent me to the hospital with hives.
The hospital cured my 2022 pneumonia, but I almost kicked off by waiting so long to go to urgent care. Doxycycline and steroids fixed me up.
I don't care if they think I am a stalker, I would have asked, just for my own peace of mind. Pneumonia is a tricky thing, so many varieties of it, I am glad your favourite server is okay and back at work though.
River,
Good thing I didn't ask... I seem to have gotten her into some trouble! That story coming up when I get a couple more details.
She seems to be her old self, though she almost choked on her cough drop yesterday.
Pneumonia scares me now, after my Unfortunate HospitVALzation. The Pony had it in 2nd grade, and it was a big deal. The doctor misdiagnosed it as a heart problem upon a follow-up visit after treating his original pneumonia. An ER doc got it figured out and cured after seeing the x-ray showing the pneumonia had gotten worse. The Pony was so limp and lethargic that he didn't even play at his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. So we took him to an ER in the city, rather than coming back home to get an appointment.
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