I’ve had the flu since 2nd January, with a high fever of 39.7˚C, a chill, and body aches that continued for five days. I went to a hospital on the 6th and was tested for influenza and pneumonia. Luckily, the high fever was not a symptom of pneumonia, but influenza only. My doctor prescribed Tamiflu and the fever has quickly gone down since then. Today I am feeling much better, and my appetite is recovering as well.
Due to the flu, I had to cancel all my plans for Week 53: seeing some academics and my friends, making fieldwork plans, etc. Emotionally my stress worsened. I know I should stay focused on my work and enjoy my field research, but I didn’t imagine that I would feel so badly homesick for my home in England.
Illness always teaches us things. My mum and Luca sent me messages every day, which was very reassuring. Especially, my mum sent countless messages, such as asking how I was feeling with some ‘Get well soon’ stickers. Luca gave me voice messages.
My goals for Week 54
- arrange dates for my first observations
- start systematic literature search
- prepare for focus group discussions