Recently a few family members, including myself, befell what can be called the 24-hour flu. In all honesty, it was not 24 hours. Some family members are still recovering from it, while others have already washed their hands (literally and metaphorically) of it. In reflection, I noticed some camaraderie amongst family members and it seemed to bring us closer together under a shared, awful experience.
Thinking back to the days when it was "all the rage" to catch chicken pox, I remember slightly hating it because it seemed as if I was the only one in the world to have caught it. My sister had passed it onto me a week into the new year. Unfortunately, she recovered earlier than I, having suffered from chicken pox weeks before I did. I suppose it would have been nice to have her around while I lazed about, struggling not to itch every inch of my body and being reprimanded if I did.
My thoughts also follow to a lecture in my chronic illness course this past semester. We were discussing cystic fibrosis and the lay community surrounding the disease. Up until recently, children with cystic fibrosis were roomed in hospitals together to also share in the camaraderie of illness. Children were allowed to play together and families encouraged to mingle in such wings. Unfortunately and fortunately, it was discovered that the risks for respiratory infections increased with co-habitation of the children. The shared environment also encouraged the growth of antibiotic-resistant organisms as well as their transmission to the room's inhabitants. Thus, the social aspect of the illness was put aside while the importance of the physiological aspect emerged.
Needless to say, we are human. We seek for interconnectedness even within illness and it is a fact that I hope all healthcare providers will acknowledge, if not cherish.
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