This past weekend I got really sick — the kind of sick where you just can’t get out of bed. My allergies had completely bested me.
It also just so happened that this weekend, my car was in the shop, my suitemate was back at their house and I was out of allergy medicine.
So, it was this weekend that I went from a girl to a woman — I had to take care of myself. Let me tell you, it was a little pitiful.
Naturally, the first thing I did was call my mom to complain about being sick and cry about missing the times in my childhood where she would take care of me.
She told me, as she always does, to get myself out of bed, drink some water and take a shower. I will admit that it helped. Sometimes – emphasis on sometimes – my mother does know best.
The bookstore is not open over the weekend, which meant that my easy access to medicine was no longer so easy.
I called a few of my friends to ask if they could drive me to the store, but none of them were available at the time. I was feeling quite discouraged until my best friend, Chloe, told me Brown Hall had honey packets and a tea bar!
Chloe told me that the honey packets are placed by the yogurt and the tea is placed in small packets on the bottom shelf where the coffee cups are, so I went on what felt like a scavenger hunt through the dining hall and I found everything I needed.
I made an English Breakfast tea with honey and lemon, and for the first time that day my throat was not scratchy. I drank about three cups of tea before leaving Brown and after that I was ready for a nap.
Sleep, hydration, showers and ramen that I get from Dunder are the things that typically carry me through sickness when on campus, but sometimes you might need more than that.
On the weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the bookstore is open. Although it can seem like a merch store with some textbooks inside, it actually has a lot of different medications and snacks available for purchase.
It is important to note that you cannot use your Bulldog Bucks at the bookstore and that the prices can be slightly inflated in comparison to what you might find at a Walgreens.
When you’re sick on a weekday the bookstore will work in a pinch, but I would recommend first asking all of your friends if they have what you need. If not, try asking them to get it for you from off campus.
It may also be a good idea to stock up on some basic medicines in advance in order to prevent the need to source it when you are sick.
If you get too sick to function and medicine is not working, do not forget the Health and Counseling Center. From my experience, everyone there is so kind and very helpful. The Health and Counseling Center is also conveniently close to campus. When you’re sick, too much movement doesn’t feel great, but lucky you! You can just call to make an appointment and then call a shuttle to take you there.
If you are feeling sick right now, I am sending all the healing vibes your way and hoping this article helped you out a little bit. Get better soon!
P.S. – if your nose is really runny and gets dry, a little bit of Aquaphor or Vaseline will make it feel much better, as well as aid in preventing nosebleeds.
