Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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Myriad miseries fade in Lafene melting pot by Terri Phillips Roberts When I get sick, there ' s something deep inside. beyond the aches and pains of a fever or cold, that makes me want to let everyone within a mile radius know I feel absolutely rotten. According to me, nobody could, or ever will, feel as sick as I do. A sympathy ringer? You bet. But I ' m not ashamed of wanting to be sympathized with—especially after I went to all the trouble and expense of getting ill. Wanting to be pampered and fussed over stems from the time we cried to have our mothers burp us when our baby tummies couldn ' t hold another bite of baby food or another breath of baby air. As we grew older, cures for our various complaints became a little more complicated. A band-aid on a skinned knee didn ' t necessarily make the hurt go away. There also comes a time when plenty of rest, pints of fluid and all the attention in the world from sym- pathetic roommates can ' t break the spell. Then it ' s time to visit Lafene Student Health Center. If you go into Lafene looking for more of the kind, warm and thought- ful reception you got in the comfort of your own home, you may be in for a bit of cultural shock. From the time you check in at the information desk until the nurse on the loudspeaker connects your name with the doctor ' s room, there is the Waiting Room. You are no longer among healthy folks who express sorrow that you can ' t run as fast, Jump as high or stop on a dime. Your misery is thrown into the melting pot along with everybody else ' s. I have never known a doctor ' s waiting room to be a place of lively conversation. People who don ' t feel quite like themselves don ' t talk much. Lafene ' s lobby is no exception. The silence Is broken only by a lone cough from behind a magazine. Immediately that cough is chal- lenged by another, from an opposite corner, that ' s louder and sicker than its predecessor. Soon there are scattered coughs around the room, each sounding progressively worse. Until there emerges a pitiful, wheez- ing cough that rattles and shakes the room into silence again. A bit later, someone touches cer- tain spots on her throat, making sure the soreness is still there. She is followed by another who holds his head in both hands as if it will fall off. Another blows his nose with difficul- ty; the girl in the second chair from the door is having trouble breathing; still another painfully clears her throat and is challenged by a cough from behind a magazine. And so it goes on . . . and on. Misery loves company. Common knowledge says nobody In good health hangs around a health center. As for common misery, that ' s another story. The times I enjoy adequate health make me wonder at the facet of human nature that demands this type of personal attention. I don ' t know whether I can give more sym- pathy to those in need of medical assistance or those who come to Student Death to hold the hand of a friend, to get an annual check up or simply get a prescription refilled. If they didn ' t feel too terribly sick when they came In, they are probably worse for wear by the time they emerge. lafeno - • 23

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