Bleh... *sniff sniff*

Ok, so the entire lot of us has been sick for weeks now. Good grief, what a horrible time.

 

Coming from deepest darkest Africa I kind of thought we were immune to most bugs and viruses, but they obviously have some ancient cooties happening up in here because we have not been this sick in years. As soon as one of us gets over it, we pass it around again.

 

Getting better in the UK is very different to South Africa. In SA I would just take myself and the family off to the doctor down the road who would probably over prescribe a million different things which would make me feel better – even if it was just masking the symptoms - because that's what I paid a fortune in medical aid for dammit! Here the NHS is great if your leg is chopped off, or if you’ve fallen off a bus or something. They are not so great if you’ve got the flu. And the chemists are even worse.

 

The doctor just won’t prescribe antibiotics if you aren’t half dead, and even when they do prescribe antibiotics, they leave the pain meds up to you. Problem is, the chemists are too scared to give you any medications, even if they’re over the counter. In fact, even if they’re on the flipping shelf in the middle of the garage down the road – they will still bulk at giving it you. Don't believe me? One day I went to get an enema for Malakai (we sometimes have to use them to help with his constipation, so I've administered them several times). I usually buy them on the shelf in Clicks, but couldn't find any in my local Boots. So I asked the chemist who told me that they wouldn't give me an enema without a PRESCRIPTION! Seriously? It's water and glycerin in fancy bottle! But no...

 

I have never had to deal with feeling absolutely crap constantly with absolutely crappy, snotty, grumpy kids as well and have no one I can turn to. Boo Hoo!!! It’s been a total mind shift for us and I just hope and pray we get rid of these bugs soon – short of spraying the entire house in a bacteria-killing mist…