The last couple of days were a real pain in the neck for me. The tonsils were so sore that drinking water was an excruciating experience to say the least. I almost developed a phobia of drinking water but I had to just stomach it because lack of fluids would have made it worse.

I did see a neighbourhood general practitioner on Friday. It was my first visit and I was impressed with the number of patients. The bill came up to RM25 which was dirt cheap considering there was antibiotic, cough syrup, running nose pills and fever pills. Only thing was, I wasn't quite confident those colourful looking pills would do the trick. So, it got worse on Friday evening and by Saturday morning, I was on the verge of losing my voice as well.

So, off I went to our regular Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist in anticipation of one fat bill after the consultation. One fat bill it was - RM170.00. There are 3 types of medicine to take and they look more familiar. The sore reduced significantly but now, the cough is developing. The irritating chesty cough which once in a while brings up a blub of thick greenish looking phlegm. Now, I suspect the throat is sore due to the coughing rather than the original "sore".

Life is fragile, isn't it? A miscrobe so small that it cannot be seen by the naked eye could cause a 5 feet 7 inches 75 kg man to surrender to its invasion. Through this experience, one learns that much should and could be done when one is healthy. And when one is healthy, one should strive not to be a burden but be an assist to others. We are all guilty of taking life for granted.

Lord have Mercy!