Health is one of the best gifts The Good Lord has provided us with. It is one of the things that we will give account of on the Last Day. Times without number I have heard/read if you take care of your health/body when you're young, it will take care of you when you get old.
Living with sickle cell anemia awakened my consciousness to the beauty and perfect order in which we were created. It made me more interested in reading about health related issues; sickle cell and other wise. Most of all it made me a very observant mother.
When my Aisha and I were discharged from the hospital, I would spend the entire night looking at her, I was overwhelmed by the Greatness of God. I couldn't get enough of the little life that came from me. I never thought I would be blessed with such a miracle. I know, pessimistic Fatima...but after what I went through, I don't think anyone can blame me. Whenever she had a cold (which was often) or I 'thought' she was running a fever, I'd go to the doctor. Oddly enough I always went to the pediatrician's on a Thursday! Her father found it very annoying...which is typical man character I'm not even going to mention how very African it is when he decides to prescribe what I should give her. Thank you very much but I will go and have her checked out. It could be nothing but why risk it besides, it's safer to get the drugs and in the right dosage to be given at the right time from the doctor.
I remember when she had cradle cap, I never knew what it was, never heard of it even! We went to her pediatrician and when the HOD saw me, she started laughing and said "What is it this time, Mrs. Abdallah?" After explaining the color changes I noticed on her scalp when her head was wet (sweat or bathing) and showing her Aisha's head, she looked at me and said "Wow! This is a classic case of seborrheic dermatitis! I wish more parents would be as observant as you are." Okay, I have to admit, my ego was a few inches from being super nova'd! But I looked alarmed, such big grammar ....so she said it's cradle cap probably seeing the look on my face and I thought "Oh that makes things better; tomaytoes...tomahtoes!" Good thing she knew how enthusiastic about my girl I was so she further broke it down "it's a fungal infection. Very common in infants. I will write down a shampoo for you to use for a week." Sigh of relief!
I learnt along the line not to feel shy of any doctor; they are my Health Google I can tell them all the things that I feel is wrong with me and they will get the right answer to my mumbo-jumbo! They are God's gift to us. We can only appreciate them if we appreciate our lives and appreciate that God indeed has created a remedy for every ailment. Not all sicknesses have cures but they have aides that help us lead a healthy life style. And when one knows what ails them and takes the proper measures to control it, they have conquered the fear of being slowed down by it! We should never be ashamed or nonchalant about our health even though we could be mocked, misunderstood, misjudged and judged at the same time, face difficulties in various aspects of life and even get discouraged sometimes to carry on. We must remember no one is without a health condition be it slight "irrelevant" allergies or the inability to produce kids. We must always remember someone out there is worse off than us therefore we work harder to be better than the other person healthier than us. Health is really survival of the fittest!
At the end of it all we are still going to our Creator but we go knowing we appreciated the Gift of Health.
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