Ugh. I’ve been off work for a few weeks now. Felt lethargic, no appetite and unable to do anything. Now, the folks at work would say that this is the normal state of affairs but I was also shivering and boiling at the same time and waking up in the middle of the night in a massive sweat with soaked sheets. From sweat.
This all started the same evening that we watched “The Pacific” on telly. Episode One was set on Guadalcanal…John Basilone, Bob Leckie and the rest of the US Marines were fighting not only the Japanese, but also malaria, dysentry, and various other junglenastinesses (Yay! New word.) As I lay in bed sweating and freezing I was sure that I had caught malaria from the TV, especially as I was deliriously half dreaming that I hadn’t put enough top cover on my bunker and I was about to get mortared any second.
It wasn’t malaria, just some sort of viral infection. My aviation medical examiner and GP both recommended a couple of weeks off to recover. It has been a slow process, and I’m only just getting back to full energy, appetite and interest in anything other than sleep. It looks like I’ll be back at work just in time for my block of shifts covering Christmas. Sting and Eindecker flights should start again too – depending on the weather as always.
Normal service will be resumed soon.
…and I’ve just realised, I couldn’t have caught malaria from the TV. They were actors. ACTORS!