I'm here sitting at home because I'm sick. :( And my husband is coming home late tonight so I need to fend for myself. Wah. I hate being sick. I thought I was going to avoid the sickness thing this fall. I was so vigilant (new word I learned this year) about washing my hands, and putting anti-bacterial stuff on whenever I handled children. But alas. My sore throat is now egging on my chronic bronchial cough. Wah. Hopefully I can go to school tomorrow, but we'll see.

I hate missing school! Today was Book Report Day, and I feel like I let my kids down. They worked so hard to prepare their presentations, and I'm not even there to grade them. Also, it was Picture Day. Teachers get to take individual pictures for free! Last year, I got my free 5 by 7 photo and didn't know what to do with it, so I put it in one of our wedding photo frames (since I didn't really have a favorable picture from my wedding to put in it).

Anyways, I had to wake up at 5:30am this morning to call a sub, and then spent about 30-45 min. typing up a sub plan and sending it to the sub. Then I slept until noon. I decided to catch up on peoples' thoughts pages, and then decided to write one myself.

Growing up, I pretty much never went to the doctor or dentist. I only remember going once to the doctor to get a required shot. I don't remember ever going from fifth grade on. As for the dentist, I went regularly until sixth grade, when I got my braces. Then I don't remember ever going until I became an adult, which was about a decade later and I discovered I had fourteen cavities. I think my mom thought the orthodontist was the same thing as the dentist.

Our family was never one of those doctor-ish/scientific families. My mother was always into the latest Korean health fads that made no sense whatsoever. My dad was the same way. In fact, he would bring strange products home and say we should use them because it was "healthy." No further explanation. Once we had this product, a small plastic thing, that you were supposed to throw into the laundry, instead of laundry detergent. What the?? No powder, no liquid, no nothing. Just plastic, exuding some kind of magnetic force. And the stranger thing was, my mom TRIED it!

When I went off to college, my dad gave me a pillow to try out because it was "healthy." It was covered in some kind of gold foil material. Being a good, obedient daughter, I said OK. Even ask my freshman roommate Sabrina about my gold pillow. It was so uncomfortable!!! We had great laughs about it. It matched Sabrina's dress once for the Viennese Ball, so we took a picture of her holding it. I should see if I still have it!

Anyways, needless to say, I got sick often my freshman year.

I'm not sure if it was the gold pillow, or just the lack of knowing how to take care of myself. I never went to the doctor's, so I didn't know how to make an appointment for myself. I never really ate proper medicine, so I didn't know how to buy it for myself.

Today I'm a different person. I now know to go visit the doctor every year, and the dentist every twice a year. When the doctor prescribes something, I'm supposed to finish the whole prescription. When I have a cough, I should buy some cough drops or some kind of cough suppressant to help it die down. When I'm allergied, I should take an anti-histamine of some sort. Didn't know that til college. I watched my mom suffer from allergies my whole life, and I don't think she knew about Sudafed or Claritin. Sad.

I wonder how my brothers are doing in terms of health and teeth.