Sandra, a stunning lady who i currently studying mass communication in the University, was indeed the pride of her family and there was no secret in that. Her politeness and eloquent speech wore a deep one on her. Although she had what seemed liked an addiction in that she always popped one pill or the other. However that didn’t hide the hold much ground against the fact that she was indeed close to perfection.
We had only become friends few months ago and she was indeed somebody worth having as a friend in the university. This was due to the positive impacts she always had on people’s lives. She was also an intelligent lady.
Most times when I see her pop in meds, for some reasons, I always felt it wasn’t right to intrude upon her private life as she might have some personal health condition which she would not want to share with anyone. Ranging from white to blue, and other various colors, Sandra always had them in her bag. I could only recognize a few of these meds.
Whenever I mentioned it, she always told me about her displeasure for hospitals and described it as somewhere not fit for humans. Somehow I was bothered because it seemed ridiculous to me for someone who hated the hospital that much, to love popping pills.
One day, as I watched her pop another set of pills which forcefully left her bag, I was forced to ask what the pills were for.
“I am not feeling too well; I didn’t sleep last night,” was the answer she gave me. “It’s fine though, since I know what’s wrong with me, I know what to take to get better,” She continued.
I thought in my heart, “She has indeed been a medical doctor from behind.”
I did my best as a friend to encourage her to reduce her beloved habit. It was noticeable that she had reduced, thanks to myself and a few friends.
Somewhere along the line, before the semester exams, she fell ill and we tried our best as friends to take care of her. Who would have thought of anything else apart from the regular examination stress which the school always laid on her students? She responded slowly to treatment and started missing a few papers and that was when her parents were involved. She was later taken out of the country for treatment and did miss that semester. It was there and then that it was discovered that the pills she had been taking had done more harm than good to her. She had been her own doctor.
Self-medication might seem helpful to you at that moment, but it is secretly killing you. Sandra might have only missed one semester, but only she and I know that she is not the same person again. Those drugs she had been popping did tell on her. It might have done worse. Self-med kills.
Avoid popping pills at will. Don’t try to be your own doctor. Visit the hospital when you are not feeling too well or notice any slight change in your body.
