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DRUG EXPERIENCE

It was Saturday and I felt I needed to go to the hospital for checkup, because I had some serious pains in a breast, and while I had to be positive it was nothing, some negative thoughts of breast cancer kept rearing its ugly head.

Anyway, I went and saw the doctor and after examination said no big deal that it’s probably pain due to cold. He said I should ignore the thought of cancer, that I am too young for it, unless it runs in my family or I am a mother and not breastfeeding. None of the above so he asked if I had ulcer and prescribed my drugs, which I bought from the hospital pharmacy and home I went.

Back home, I was furious. Looking at the drugs, I realised I had all of them at home. B.co, folic acid, vitamin c and that little red iron caplet (which I don’t have). I complained of pains and the guy packed me full of multivitamins?

Anyway, my friend and neighbour was a bit down so she went to the pharmacy to get a malaria dose. Because I had plenty multivitamins, I gave her the ones I was given at the hospital and forgot about the whole thing, me still struggling with pains I could feel but which location was still unknown.

Tuesday, I went back to the hospital because the pains persisted, and the previous night while sleeping, I had turn on my chest and screamed from the pain. I located the origin of the pain and couldn’t wait for morning so I could return to the hospital. I was more worried because the pain came from underneath my breast, the bone surrounding my tender heart. I didn’t want a cardiac arrest or anything to be wrong with my heart where it was, and I definitely didn’t want any pain originating from there.

So later that morning, my friend accompanied me for support. The doctor examined me and asked if I used the medication he gave me.

Me: yes I did and the intensity of the pains has increased.

Doc: the drugs ought to have worked. That is what it is for. Ok, I will give you a stronger one now.

I hesitated thinking that I actually didn’t take the multivitamins he gave. But how could those help with pain?

Me: which of the drugs was for the pain?

Doc: the little red one

Me: (confused. Isn’t that the iron caplet) I thought that’s the blood or iron drug. The red one.

He looked at me. ‘You didn’t take it?

Me: I thought it was multivitamins.

Doc: How long did you use it?

Me: once

Doc: ok. I won’t give you anything else, you still have it right?

Me: no.

He looked at me askance

Me: I gave it to my friend who was ill. I thought they were multivitamins?

Doc: Does your friend have ulcer?

Me: no.

Doc: you are very lucky for that. That drug is not recommended for ulcer patients.

So doctor prescribed more of the red little round caplets for me and I left to get my prescription. In the reception, I met my friend.

Me: do you have ulcer? I asked her.

She shook her head and I told her what happened.

It was very funny. We recounted it to anyone who cared to listen, but it wasn’t really funny. It was a dangerous thing and had she had ulcer, I would have sang differently. Back home, I collected the drugs from her. She insisted she had headache and needed two. I refused because they weren’t panadol. I collected my drugs. Later, while we were watching Bayern destroy Lyon, another neighbour said he needed multivitamins and the others said ask Uzezi. Seriously?

Anyway, I learnt a lesson. Before this, I never abused drugs, now, I am extra careful.