Pineapple Strawberry Milkshakes

A long time ago when I was in the earlier years of high school (Grade 7 or 8, I think), I was having issues with my skin. I was taking some homeopathy treatments - and what generally happens after one treatment (in theory) is that you take whatever concoction that the specialist gives you, after which symptoms of the original problem get dramatically worse, after which they clear up and you're in better shape than before a treatment. In theory. I guess I'd gone for three or four treatments. I don't really recall if there was any significant improvements, but surely enough I'd go way downhill before rebounding a bit.

After what would be my last treatment, though, things went to hell. I basically came down with a staph infection. Now for those fortunate enough to have never had experience with one of these, it basically meant that everything everywhere breaks out into nasty infected grossness that you feel like utter garbage. But hey, things were supposed to get worse for a while, right? It turned out that instead of a few weeks, this time it was a few months. I missed an entire term of school (I even managed to sustain a high B-average for the year), and was pretty much stuck at home. My joints and feet were so inflamed and sore that I was reduced to crawling around the house. These were not good times.

Eventually as we realized that it wasn't getting better, we went to the family doctor. He immediately prescribed some hella-beefy antibiotics, and told me that if I had waited much longer I probably would have ended up on IVs in the hospital to work the infection out of my system. And strangely enough, after regularly taking these pills three times a day for two weeks (and not getting to eat an hour before or after each dose), my skin cleared up. It was like magic - I'd been down with this infection for so long, it felt so good to have it taken away from me. Mind you, within a week of going off one medication, it started to resurface. I'd need to switch between two flavours of drugs for a few rotations before I was finally staph-free.

We never went to see that homeopathy specialist again.

Aside from the drugs, the family doctor prescribed one other thing: Light treatment. Of the UV variety, if I recall correctly. I'm still not sure what it was supposed to do for me specifically, but it perhaps had something to do with killing the germs on the surface of my skin, pulling double-duty with the anit-biotics to beat the most vicious infection I'd seen yet.

I went for one UV treatment a week. Every Monday, I think. The appointment was at 3:15, so I had to head right out of school to the Chilliwack General Hospital, a ~25 minute drive away. I'd get there, strip down to my skivvies and step into a octagonal chamber that had long light bulbs (like fluorescent tubes) running vertically. The technician/doctor there would give me treatments anywhere from ten seconds to a minute and a half. This varied on how well I'd taken the treatment the week before. You see, each time I went into that chamber it'd essentially give me a sunburn. By the time I'd head home and be on my way to karate a few hours later, I'd be visibly pink and my skin would be sensitive. Sparring and practicing grabs was not very comfortable. The judo uniform (or 'gi') wasn't especially smooth on my skin on the best of days, so Monday-night karate turned into an itchy and unsettling two hour stretch of sweat, strained appendages, and (in some cases) bruises. I miss karate, actually. I wish there was a closer Isshn Ryu dojo.

Anyways, as I continued these treatments through the winter I was easy to spot at the beginning of the week. In typical Lower Mainland fashion, the skies have been grey and cloudy for months on end, but I somehow had a sunburn every week. Get out of school, meet my mother who had the family van, head into town, and come back medium-rare.

After a few weeks sans-antibiotics, it looked like I had the mean ol' infection beat. I went for light treatments for a few more weeks before calling it quits.

A few years later when I was getting closer to my senior year of high school, I was having another rough go with my skin. While I don't think it was infection related, something in my system just wasn't right. It felt like I was always on pins and needles. Nothing was comfortable. A warm bath didn't feeling refreshing, it stung and burnt for the entire time I was in. Never mind the constant barrage from a shower. Those months were complete hell. I never got to be comfortable. Long nights, miserable mornings, and painful days. I had to give up on karate at that point.

We decided to try UV treatments again. By this time, though, I had my driver's licence. I'd make these trips alone. And just as well, my mother had begun to take over longer shifts at the regional library. So I'd slither out of school, and say hello to my mom before taking the (now older and decrepit) family van to town.

The doctor still recognized me. I recognized him, although his hairline was in retreat and what was left contained a higher percentage of greys than I remembered. He was a nice guy.

There was something about that UV chamber and the small room it was in. It smelled of... Stale. I don't really know how else to describe it, but it definitely had an odour to it. Imagine that, smelly light. I'd get dressed, say the customary "thanks, see you next week", and slowly make my way to my car. All the while emitting a fragrance of stagnant UV. Heh, maybe there's a marketing opportunity there for cologne.

Each time I'd say hello to my mom before heading out, she'd give me a few dollars so that I could get a milkshake from the DQ near the hospital. Looking back, it kinda bothers me how every time she had to scrounge around so thoroughly to make up the $3 or $4. It's hard to not think that in such rough times that perhaps the money could have been better used elsewhere.

But it wasn't. And every Monday around 3:45 I'd stroll into the DQ, doing a horrible impression of someone who wasn't in pain, and order a medium Pinapple Strawberry Milkshake. It's a small comfort I discovered with my mom, during the first times we'd gone for those appointments. On the drive home I'd suck on the straw and fight with the small chunks of fruit getting stuck in it. After a few weeks the girls at the DQ counter always knew just what I was there for.


And so it was tonight that we were at a DQ for supper when a friend asked, "What's your favourite milkshake?" I replied "Pinapple Strawberry". I didn't order one, but it didn't stop a whole carton of dusty memories from spilling onto the floor of my mind. I haven't had one of those milkshakes in a while. Something like that will always taste bittersweet.
-Cril

Calm that wicked wind
To pick you up
And carry you off eastward,
Though I did release you
For to seek a warmer sky

Should you be blown back
Know that I will always run to greet you,
Still surprised to catch you
Every time

Armed with this small butterfly net, oh
I will face the world alone
And never be lonely

So calm that wicked wind,
And if you go, you could be gone forever
I will play awhile here
By and by and by and by

Armed with this small butterfly net, oh
I will face the world alone
And never be lonely

Up and up you go
For to steal the secrets of the heavens
Will you share them with me
My bright and brilliant spy?

Should you be blown back
Know that I will always run to greet you
Still surprised to catch you
Every time
Still surprised to catch you
By and by and by and by

Bishop Allen - Butterfly Nets