Friday 15 April 2011

I Don't Do Things By Halves...

When I was younger, I was crazy smart.
By the time I finished grade 2, I was ready to start grade 4. Because back then they worked at the child's level, pushing the smarter ones, and paying extra attention to the ones who needed it, instead of whatever it is they do now, but that's for another day. 

Last time I went to the optometrist, the lady kept on asking me if I was sure. 
"Are you sure the top line is clearer?"
"Are you sure you can't make out that letter?"
Turns out my distance vision is perfect. As in, I could not possibly have better distance vision and still be human. 
However I have the focusing abilities of a 70 year old man. I can read things close up, but I get a mega headache after about 5 minutes. She said she's never seen anybody have that before. Hardly a medical miracle, but a medical extreme. 

Nearly a month ago now, I got tonsillitis. I went into the doctor and when she asked, 'what can I do for you today?' I said, 'I'm pretty sure I have tonsillitis'. She got me to say, 'Ahhh' and looked for maybe .01543 of a second and was all, 'yeah. That's tonsillitis. Have you had this before'. Yada, yada, yada. 
Turns out it's the worst case she'd seen that hadn't been hospitalised. And yes, it really did come up like that overnight. Luckily, thanks to living on a diet of antibiotics, pain killers, cream cheese and jelly for 48 hours, about 20 of which I was actually awake for, I did not need a trip to the hospital where an IV would 'get on top of things'. 

Then I was at the doctors again on Wednesday. Doctors freak me out. They haven't always, only for the past 3 years or so. I have no idea why. I've never really had a traumatic experience, it's just one day I rocked up for a check out and to get a prescription, and in the waiting room I was shaking and I could hear my pulse and I could not calm down. Ever since then, doctors take my blood pressure at least twice because surely it can't possibly be that high. Only it is. I've been given the take-home blood pressure testing kit twice now, for a week, and I need to monitor it. At the doctor once, it was 169/104. The highest it has EVER been with me doing it was 142/90, and that was after an hour at the gym. Usually it sits around 115-130/75-85. Meaning that according to my doctor, I have the most severe case of white-coat syndrome she's seen. Especially for someone who has never had a traumatic experience with a doctor. 

All of this leads me to believe that for some reason, I can't just do anything normally. I read really fast, I drink a lot of water, I fall asleep really quickly, sometimes with my eyes still open. Yes, it freaks J out too. 

So, does everybody just exaggerate, or is it just impossible for me to be average at anything?


2 comments:

  1. What exaggeration? You're absolutely the most awesomest niece ever (well equal to my other awesome nieces and nephew anyway) and you're incredibly talented and beautiful. ;)

    The falling asleep with your eyes open *is* a little weird though. :)

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  2. Haha, well...I do have the most awesomest aunty :)
    Thank you :)

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