Not-fun ways to learn new French vocabulary...
So last Wednesday, I got a little tickle in my throat. No big deal, right? Coughed on occasion, had a bit of a sniffle - a bit annoying, but bearable, right?
Then, I went to Disneyland Paris on Saturday with nine other friends and had an absolutely AMAZING time... \o/
...but I pushed myself way too far and by the end of the afternoon (despite taking cold and flu medicine), I felt terrible... and even worse on Sunday. I was having trouble getting enough air sometimes, which is scary.
I went to my first class on Monday, and afterwards I was speaking with my colleagues in the breakroom and they recommended I just go see a doctor and take the rest of the day off. I'd hesitated before because it seemed like so much more effort to find a clinic and wait for an appointment than it would be to just power through the classes... but I'm glad I went. :P
It turns out I have "coquelucuette", which is apparently acute "coqueluche". I had to look up the word to translate to English later on and the doctor helpfully wrote it down for me. Turns out it's probably whooping cough. D: (Yeah, I had the vaccination when I was younger but apparently you can sometimes still get it?) The doctor said I could be coughing for two months! I've got some antibiotics and some "antitoussif" syrup (AKA cough syrup - another new piece of vocab learned yesterday!), and I've been drinking loads of hot water and honey.
The French doctor was difficult to understand (possibly also because I was tired and feverish, but also because he spoke quickly and with technical terms), but after he found out that I was an anglophone he had a bit of fun with it. He shared the one sentence he knew in Polish (I have a Polish last name), and quizzed me a bit on French grammar. When you visit the doctor, do you go "à la médecin", "au médecin" or "chez le médecin"? Turns out it's the latter. ;)
I ran into one of my students on my way to the pharmacy... which was closed for lunch. Because it's France. She then offered to show me to the one that's just around the corner from her house, because she was walking there for lunch. She told me that she didn't want to just leave me there. D'aww. :) (Wait, did I really look that sick? D: )
I felt feverish especially yesterday and this morning, but I think that it's broken now. I had to get up to drop off my doctor's note/form at the secretary's office (luckily only like 50m from my front door), and the walk in the cool morning air did me good. When I got back to my apartment, though, I felt restless and so I ended up cleaning up my room to the sound of classical music ("Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and "Rite of Spring"). It might just be the medication (I'm allowed to take ibuprofen again the pain because my chest, throat and head all ache, in addition to the stuff for my cough), but I'm having trouble focussing on things. This was especially bad last night and this morning. My mind kept leaping to random phrases and sentences, and I'd suddenly realize that there's been a song "playing" in my head for a couple minutes (or at least I assume so because I realize when it's in a completely random spot in the song). Maybe it was the fever? I'm more clear-headed now. It was kind of crazy. I haven't experienced that in ages.
Anyway, maybe I'm oversharing, but being sick is really getting me down. :P I missed out recording an interview with some of my favourite students today (probably postponed 'till next week), I'll probably have to miss a French friend's birthday party in Paris this weekend, I'm definitely missing a friend's spontaneous picnic this afternoon, even though it's a beautiful day... and maybe I won't be able to go to Giverny (where Monet painted some of his later works!), though I'm really hoping that I'll be well enough to go for a walk on Sunday...
Blah. I think I'll drink more hot water and honey, and maybe take a nap. :P
Then, I went to Disneyland Paris on Saturday with nine other friends and had an absolutely AMAZING time... \o/
...but I pushed myself way too far and by the end of the afternoon (despite taking cold and flu medicine), I felt terrible... and even worse on Sunday. I was having trouble getting enough air sometimes, which is scary.
I went to my first class on Monday, and afterwards I was speaking with my colleagues in the breakroom and they recommended I just go see a doctor and take the rest of the day off. I'd hesitated before because it seemed like so much more effort to find a clinic and wait for an appointment than it would be to just power through the classes... but I'm glad I went. :P
It turns out I have "coquelucuette", which is apparently acute "coqueluche". I had to look up the word to translate to English later on and the doctor helpfully wrote it down for me. Turns out it's probably whooping cough. D: (Yeah, I had the vaccination when I was younger but apparently you can sometimes still get it?) The doctor said I could be coughing for two months! I've got some antibiotics and some "antitoussif" syrup (AKA cough syrup - another new piece of vocab learned yesterday!), and I've been drinking loads of hot water and honey.
The French doctor was difficult to understand (possibly also because I was tired and feverish, but also because he spoke quickly and with technical terms), but after he found out that I was an anglophone he had a bit of fun with it. He shared the one sentence he knew in Polish (I have a Polish last name), and quizzed me a bit on French grammar. When you visit the doctor, do you go "à la médecin", "au médecin" or "chez le médecin"? Turns out it's the latter. ;)
I ran into one of my students on my way to the pharmacy... which was closed for lunch. Because it's France. She then offered to show me to the one that's just around the corner from her house, because she was walking there for lunch. She told me that she didn't want to just leave me there. D'aww. :) (Wait, did I really look that sick? D: )
I felt feverish especially yesterday and this morning, but I think that it's broken now. I had to get up to drop off my doctor's note/form at the secretary's office (luckily only like 50m from my front door), and the walk in the cool morning air did me good. When I got back to my apartment, though, I felt restless and so I ended up cleaning up my room to the sound of classical music ("Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and "Rite of Spring"). It might just be the medication (I'm allowed to take ibuprofen again the pain because my chest, throat and head all ache, in addition to the stuff for my cough), but I'm having trouble focussing on things. This was especially bad last night and this morning. My mind kept leaping to random phrases and sentences, and I'd suddenly realize that there's been a song "playing" in my head for a couple minutes (or at least I assume so because I realize when it's in a completely random spot in the song). Maybe it was the fever? I'm more clear-headed now. It was kind of crazy. I haven't experienced that in ages.
Anyway, maybe I'm oversharing, but being sick is really getting me down. :P I missed out recording an interview with some of my favourite students today (probably postponed 'till next week), I'll probably have to miss a French friend's birthday party in Paris this weekend, I'm definitely missing a friend's spontaneous picnic this afternoon, even though it's a beautiful day... and maybe I won't be able to go to Giverny (where Monet painted some of his later works!), though I'm really hoping that I'll be well enough to go for a walk on Sunday...
Blah. I think I'll drink more hot water and honey, and maybe take a nap. :P