Nurse Kyle
Friday was the 25 de Mayo, the day Argentina declared Independence from Spain. So, not having work or attend classes, Vanesa and one of her classmates were over to watch some movies required for their film history class. They were able to watch 2 films but the subtitles on the other dvds didn’t work because the dvd player that came furnished with the apartment was a piece of junk.
After her friend left, Vanesa started to feel some type of illness coming on. She slept over 5 hours and felt better, but not great. On Saturday, whatever it was started hitting her full force. She was breathing mostly through her mouth because of congestion and developed a fever. After resting for hours, she was getting restless and hungry. In a moment of pregnant woman-like symptoms, she had a craving for Burger King. Fresh air and walking around would do her good she said. So we hopped on a bus and dined with the King for an hour or so. She really was feeling better after having a chance to move around. But after a couple hours, the fever came back and dizziness set in.
Vanesa’s breathing felt like fire and I began to get concerned. I made a quick jaunt down to Farmacity to buy a thermometer and some pills to fight the fever. I knew she had a strong fever, but I never imagined it was 40°C (104°F)! I’ve never had a fever that high, but I knew if it crept up any more we had to get to a hospital. She told me she could feel the hot air coming out of her nose and mouth and her eyes were watering because she could even feel the fever in her eyes. While she sat on my lap, I could feel the temperature of her legs even though we were both wearing jeans. I drew a cool bath for her and told her she had to stay in there as long as she could take it. While she was in there, I started calling around to find out what hospital we’d need to go to in case of an emergency. It was a bit complicated because she didn’t have insurance id with her and the hospital in her network had closed for the day. There was an open location further away, but I didn’t want to travel that far with her in that condition. Eventually I found a place that would be about 20 minutes by taxi. Fortunately we didn’t have to go to a hospital as the bath helped alleviate the fever. Within 3 hours, the fever had subsided and Vanesa felt much better. During this time, Vanesa’s family called to check in and thanked me for taking care of her. They too were relieved that she was getting better.
Unfortunately, the condition returned on Sunday. While her temp wasn’t quite as high, the headaches were stronger and the cough more severe. Once again, she felt better after a few hours and then returned to feeling sick. It was coming in waves. Anyway, yesterday we went to the clinic and within about 4 minutes the doctor had diagnosed it as some type of strong bacterial infection of the throat (that would be the technical term). We picked up some stronger medication and headed for her apartment. Vanesa’s mom Susana came into BA and will be spending a couple days taking care of her. My patient is getting better, thank the Lord.
During the past month, I’ve been thinking a lot about Vanesa’s and my future together. I’ve worried and thought about everything under the sun. It’s been good to take a serious look at the serious commitment I want to make. But at the same time, when I’m alone, it’s been almost impossible to remember the good times and the reasons I want to be with Vanesa. While obviously not elated she was sick, taking care of her was a nice experience. Seeing her with that severe of a temperature and worrying about her, caring for her, and just being there for her reminded me of how fortunate I am to have her in my life. It reminded me how special it is to have someone in this world whom you can care for unconditionally and will return that affection unconditionally. What amazed me was how Vanesa would look at me. The gratitude in her eyes and the security she felt being under my care was astounding. Having someone she knows will care for her no matter what is more important to her than anything else. She asked me if I would be with her even if she becomes extremely or terminally ill in the future. I assured her my commitment was forever. Ironically, these few days of illness put us more at ease.
