Paranoia

Paranoia! It has probably happened to all of us at some point in our lives whilst others deal with it on a daily. It is the irrational fear of being unsafe or a schizophrenic assumption something bad is about to happen to one. I reckon paranoia comes in many forms but mine is usually centered on health.

MAJ- (On the phone)- Hey Tchubs, Am so scared, I have this splitting headache that's making me dizzy, I don't want to take pain relievers cause I learnt they cause liver damage in the long run, I think it's making me dizzy or do you think I'm short on blood?

TCHUBS- *Deep sighs* You're not serious Maj, seriously? You have the solution to your problem right in front of you and you're spitting B.S about the meds causing liver damage? Don't bother me please.... You have issues, Sheesh! 


I remember this conversation few years back...This and a lot more similar pattern of conversation bothering on different issues I've had with Hamz, QT, Karl, my Mom and poor Tchubs, my best friend, he's always being the main one on the receiving end of my paranoiac rants and fears but you can't blame me, can you? Mom says when I was born, I was quite sickly and afterwards, I battled with all sorts of ailments which apparently I didn't find exciting and growing up, I've always been a fan of nutritive medicine hence my love of finding solutions to my medical issues through fruits, herbs and food rather than through orthodox medicine.

So recently I started battling with hives, (Hives is a condition where you have an outbreak of swollen, red or pale bumps all over your skin or an area of your skin as a result of your body's reaction to allergens) and good lord, was I scared? Usually, I am tended to hide things pertaining to me health-wise  until I freak out and can't take it no more. That was the case with my bout with hives. It started on a cold evening after it had rained and I in company of Hamz went to see a friend some metres away from our house, we ended up chatting for hours on end and whilst this went on, I began to feel my thigh itch so badly but was careful to not scratch it so obviously so as not to draw embarrassing curious glances from Hamz and our mutual friend who might think I have a bad case of STD or a bad rash so I kept stealthily reaching for the area itching me and scratching the hell out of it whilst wondering if I got bitten by soldier ants.

On our way home, Hamz noticed I was frantically itching by now and asked if I was alright and I said I think I have soldier ants in my trousers and have to rush home to take my pants off as I dashed into a sprint and ran home leaving Hamz looking dazed. I rushed inside and quickly took off my trousers and what behold my sight was frightening to say the least, red bumps all over my thighs with no single ant in sight, I was alarmed, Mom asked what was wrong as Hamz sauntered in at that moment and with tears in my eyes, asked Hamz to take a look at what was going on with me. Mom told me to calm down as something similar had happened to me as a kid and told me the local treatment for it was to use hot, dry sand to rub my entire body but as it was late and had rained earlier, making the earth damp, I had to persevere till the next day but the thought of that scared the bejesus out of me as I got restless and insisted we go to the hospital but in the meantime, Mom asked me to rub palmoil all over my body to calm the itching, even though I wasn't such a huge fan of local traditions, I needed a cure fast to this strange allergy which I wasn't even sure what the allergy was, so I obliged Mom and did as I was told, standing naked save my tiny briefs with Hamz laughing at me and threatening to take a snap shot of me naked and post on social media,

 "You're Africa's Kim, you need to fucking break the internet"

He spurted out amidst gales of giggles whilst Mom angrily shot back, telling him he dares not, going further to tell him to stop calling me Kim,

"Who the hell is Kim? Stop it Hamz!"

 I hissed out aloud, turning away from him as my concern was to get cured. The palmoil gave me temporary relief whilst I quickly took to my phone and googled causes of itchy body which brought out amongst hundreds of result, hives and from the image, it looked similar to what appeared on my body and went further to researching what could be done about it. While at it, the itching soon came back with full force with big red bumps scattered all over my body as I scratched heavily, leaving bloodied scratch marks all over me and out of panic, I screamed in fright, demanding to be taken to a hospital that night and Mom agreed, we went to our family doctor who went into details in explaining what hives meant and what could possibly cause it...much like what I had read online, he states,

 "It's usually caused as a result of an allergy...maybe to pollen or any foreign thing you've recently taken on which you don't do before, anything could trigger it, it could be food, anything"

I responded saying I doubt I've had any foreign habit or food lately and he went further,

"Are you suffering from flu? Prolonged flu could also trigger hives but it usually goes within a few hours to resurface 24 hours later and in extreme cases, it could go on for six months"

My jaws fell to the ground in horror as I knew I'd been battling with flu for a long while, begging to be saved, the doctor and Mom laughed as he waved his hand to calm me down,

 "Hey! Calm down okay? you have nothing to worry about, your body is just releasing histamines into your bloodstream to fight whatever foreign visitor into your body thus your reaction by itching all over but I will place you on a dosage of antihistamines and you will be relieved ok dear?"

I nodded and had my drugs packaged in a small and cute nylon bag as Mom and I thanked the doctor and proceeded on our way home!

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