Self-medication gone wrong! Clinical diagnosis came to my rescue.

My most recent hospital experience is the one for which I am so grateful. Sometimes, we neglect a lot of symptoms without knowing that we are risking our health. As a growing child, I was always sick. I can hardly stay for one good month without falling sick; honestly, it sucks. I must commend my mom for not taking my health for granted those years, despite how often I fell ill. Either I am suffering from this illness or another, but the one that persisted for years was severe typhoid fever combined with low blood pressure sometimes. Even while in university, I was always in the school sick bay. I remember missing practicals and tests just because of my health, but as I got older, the sickness started fading away. I was so happy because my days of several admissions to the hospital are over, but do you know what? I embraced self-medication as an adult, even for a symptom that requires urgent hospital attention. However, I learned my life lessons by prioritizing my health.

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As an adult, I do not usually fall sick like before. I try everything possible to maintain a high level of immunity. The times I have visited the hospital have been during my pregnancy, antenatal care, delivery, and post-delivery visits. In all my hospital experiences, I have dreaded seeing a needle. Despite the uncountable times I have been punched while giving birth, The fear of needles was the beginning of my self-medication, but I learned it the hard way. I can spend an hour imagining how painful an injection will be for me before allowing the nurses to do their job; it's always a drama, but why should I? When the motive is to get me healthy and strong enough to perform my daily activities efficiently.

*Despite my nonchalant attitude toward visiting the clinic while sick, I don't joke about any symptoms I notice in my kids. I guess I took after my mom one hundred percent on this. I don't hesitate to run laboratory tests and get my kids treated accordingly. I don't practice self-medication on them like I do on myself. I assumed that I was old enough to take care of myself by visiting the pharmacy whenever I felt sick.

But

On January 24, 2023, I was very sick. I was battling with lots of symptoms at the same time. My strength was failing me gradually, to the point that I couldn't carry my last child. I was also experiencing severe pain in my ceaseran section region, but in all of this, I didn't deem It necessary to visit the hospital. I sent my sister to get malaria 🦟 drugs for me and pain reliever drugs as well. My husband advised that I get prepared to visit the hospital,l but I declined. I started self-medicating,and after 24 hours, there was no progress.I reluctantly accepted to visit the hospital.Upon diagnosis recommended by the doctor, the result showed that I had a low blood level and typhoid fever on the high side. The doctor also gave me some possible reasons for having such pain in my ceaseran section region. He prescribed drugs, and of course there was an injection, but I was ready to get well very quickly,so I succumbed . I adhered to every instructions given by the doctor, and within a few days, I was sound again.

It was an experience I wouldn't forget in a hurry. I never imagined the result of the diagnosis. I was using the wrong medication completely during my self-medication. I can say that self-medication is common here in Africa, but I won't join the chorus anymore; after all, health is wealth 🤑. I wouldn't deny the fact the hospital visit cost me lots of money💰 , starting from the consultation fee, laboratory fee and treatment fee, but I was okay spending them because without a good health, one cannot function effectively.

This is my entry to the #HiveLearners community contest on the topic titled Your most recent hospital experience.