How is it that it is only October and half the campus is sick? It boggles my mind how any of us can carry on a decent conversation over the coughing, wheezing and dripping, much less learn anything. Indeed, as I watch the sizes of my huge lecture classes dwindle and the spinning lottery ball of Modern Alchemy loose its power to inspire terror in those who would otherwise be skipping class, I can’t help but feel that all of our majors are looking like minors in light of the plague that is gripping us all.
Getting better at this school — whether from a runny nose or from pneumonia — is one of the most difficult things a student can do. Some notice they are sick as the sickness is setting in and load themselves up with enough zinc in time to delay onset of their ailment . . . but they’re the lucky ones. Some people get really ill and require actual medical attention — they are next on the totem pole because the doctors at Health and Wellness will actually treat them. The rest of us fall somewhere in the middle, always teetering on the edge of exhaustion as a death-rattle cough seemingly permanently lodges itself in our lungs, hibernating there until spring allergies set in and take our minds off it.
One of the major problems is stress levels and sleep deprivation. We are stressed because of all the demands on our time, taxations on our body, and whatever emotional garbage is occupying the rest of our mental space, which causes us to eat poorly, or in some cases, stop eating completely while still drinking buckets of coffee. We run ourselves ragged, becoming less productive as our bodies learn to ward off the caffeine, ultimately reducing our sleep and our ability to fight off disease. Soon we’re in an undertow — every time we manage to get just a little bit better, another demand comes along and drags us back into sick land.
But our schedules are not the only things keeping us sick. Health and Wellness, or hellwell, is one of the most frustrating places on this campus, which is remarkable to me considering Hopkins’s medical reputation. It used to be that you would show up at hellwell as early as you could for the walk-in appointments in the morning and walk out two hours later having had your temperature taken and been given some NaCl to gargle. These days, you have to make an appointment first, in order to wait forty minutes to be let in to see a doctor, who will be pleasantly surprised to find that you actually do have an infection instead of just allergies. It’s hard not to wonder if the possibility of seeing a doctor is worth the ordeal.
So what is the solution? Make demands. If you have had 10 incidents of strep throat in your life and feel one coming on, and the doc at hellwell refuses to give you a throat culture because you “don’t look like you have strep”, insist that she do it anyway. If you have multiple bad experiences with hellwell, the next step is to find a doc outside of Hopkins to treat what you’ve got. Health and wellness is great if you are really ill with something, but it takes a lot to get their attention as they are understaffed and overworked. For the common cough, cold, or sore throat, it may be better to seek medical attention elsewhere.
As for the other stuff, small changes such as eliminating alcohol for a week, and making sure you have protein three times a day, can do wonders to get rid of that terrible cold. Wearing appropriate clothing is also a must if you are under the weather. This is all stuff parents say, but people somehow make it to college without realizing how true it is. The other thing is not to let your personal go if you’re tired — fact: dirty people are sicker. I don’t care how tired you are, that’s no excuse not to bathe or brush your teeth for extended amounts of time. Speaking of which: When was the last time you got a new toothbrush? Our toothbrushes carry a ton of germs and should be replaced regularly
These are just a few examples of the many small things you can do to stay well. I know it’s not much, but sometimes the idea that you’re doing something to improve your health is the best cure.
