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« The Princess Complex | Main | Talking bout a resolution »Friday, December 29, 2006
Snort
Over the holiday, everyone in my family was sick but me and Kate. You know why? We don't interact on a near-daily basis with crawling, crying, adorable petri dishes dressed up in onesies and OshKosh B'Gosh. After 24 hours with our nephews, we're sick as dogs. Our immune systems, clearly, are not challenged regularly enough to fight off the cold strains that reside inside of babies. I wish I was one of those people who never gets sick for I am the polar opposite. Someone only need suggest the idea of being sick and immediately the roof of my mouth feels as though hordes of staples have marched down my throat. I probably catch as many colds as photogs catch snapshots of Britney's bare cooter. My head clogs, my joints ache, I get fevery and tired and foggy and, generally, a big baby. I can't help it - and believe you me I've tried. From the moment I feel a cold coming on, I eat vitamin-rich foods, and take Vitamin C, and zinc, and hot showers, and crank up the humidifiers, and sleep - Lord! Do I ever sleep! And yet? Two days later it looks as though a snotty Kleenex bomb went off in my apartment. My boss yesterday suggested I try Tylenol Cold and Sinus as she suffered from something similar recently. I fetched it. It has yet to work. I'm forever looking for the drug that will at least allow me to do something more than lie on my bed for hours at a time. While I'm not a believer in going into work sick, I am a believer in running a comb through my hair at least once in 24 hours. I've taken every sort of pain-reliever out there and none seem to help. As a result, my hair closely resembles a mess of tumbleweeds, if the weeds had the strength and energy to tumble. Every night for the past three I've gotten a total of four hours of sleep, leaving me and Glin to resort to unearthing old videotapes so as to watch something, anything. I forgot how much I liked "Good Will Hunting" until I watched it at 3 a.m. today. I'm praying for a miracle as tonight I'm supposed to have sushi. And I really wanted to go out and have sushi. Tomorrow night my friend Dave, whom I've not seen in about three years, is coming up to hang out and cause trouble with me. Let's not forget that Sunday is NYE and while I'm not going to the Bears game, I do have plans, damnit all. What do you all do to deal with colds? Ride it out? Pump yourself full of drugs? Is there anything you think I should try and I possibly might not have? Posted by Erin at 11:31 AM | filed under: Odds and ends commentsThe broad-symptom stuff is no good. Treat your specific symptoms--buy some generic 4 hour sudafed and take it every 4 hours religiously to clear up congestion. If you're achey, take ibuprofen or tylenol every 4 hours as well. If you're feverish, alternate ibuprofen and tylenol every 2 hours until the fever breaks. Drink lots and lots of water. I also take massive doses of vitamin C (1000mg 3x a day) that seem to shorten the length of my colds. posted by: Alison at December 29, 2006 02:58 PM airborne-it takes a few doses but it works. my husband scoffed and protested- and is now a convert. emergen-c is also good as a preventitive. posted by: laura at December 29, 2006 02:59 PM Steam your head with a bowl of fresh-boiled water and a dab of vics dropped in it, you know the old drill with a towel over your head to keep the steam in? The vics will make your eyes sting a little, but man does it ever clear out your head. I had a lingering cold form hell right before Christmas, when I finally remembered this old trick, I did it two days in a row and it made a huge difference. I use this stuff called Olbas Oil for the head steaming, which contains wintergreen, menthol and cajuput oils, but I'm not sure if you can buy it in the US. Vics works too in a pinch. posted by: Rosemary Grace at December 29, 2006 06:24 PM I ride it out. I don't take any medicine save for a few advil or tylenol if I'm really achy or have a fever. I've tried many of the traditional cold medicines to no avail - none of them ever really worked for me, either. So, when I'm sick, I use a humidifier, rub with vicks vapo-rub, I push lots of fluids - especially tea - OJ, gingerale, and water with Emergen-C. That stuff is really, really good. posted by: Erin, too at December 29, 2006 09:20 PM I buy a bottle of chewable Vitamin C's and eat them like candy until I literally shit the cold right out of me! About 1000 mg/hour should do it. My brother swears by Advil cold & sinus, but I tend to shy away from the drug stuff and stick with Vit. C, hot water & lemon juice, and rest... but if I HAD to go to work and function, I'd probably try the Advil stuff. posted by: Donna at December 29, 2006 11:21 PM Oh yeah, Emergen-C. That and copious amounts of garlic and hot foods of all sorts are my cures - I don't do cold medicine, it makes me feel worse. Actually, I always get sushi when I'm sick, and pile tons of wasabi on it. It's a wonderful decongestant! Anyway, it sucks and I feel you on that. I am currently suffering with a sinus infection and I am a no-sleeping, messed-up mess (even after breaking down and chugging Nyquil). posted by: Kelly at December 30, 2006 12:21 AM I agree with Andrea. Also, lots of sleep. Hope you feel better soon. posted by: Georgina at December 30, 2006 02:33 AM I used to get sick all the time, but after I moved out of my parents house and began taking a daily vitamin, I've remained cold/flu-free since 2000. I also get a yearly flu shot. posted by: nicole at December 30, 2006 11:49 AM Dear Aunt Erin - I am very sorry I got you sick. If you want I will bring you my teddy bear to snuggle with. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH - Baby Chase posted by: Devyn at December 30, 2006 12:02 PM Zicam. Expensive. Worth it. posted by: rebekah at December 30, 2006 05:48 PM Dayquil Liquid or Liquid Caps and one of those moist heat heating pads are my friends, along with Puffs Plus with lotion so my nose doesn't peel...I've always wanted to try those shower soothers but I'm afraid I would smell like menthol all day long. posted by: Mere at December 30, 2006 09:54 PM Try saying "Britney's bare cooter" six times fast. posted by: lefty at December 31, 2006 10:06 AM I always got bad colds. Horrible, awful ones that took weeks to get over. The one thing that I've found to help is drinking water. When you get your first cold symptoms (scratchy throat, a few sneezes) start downing a ton of water. It'll go right through you and I really think it kind of flushes the cold virius out. Ever since I started doing this my cold have been far less severe. :) posted by: Jenny at December 31, 2006 07:05 PM I am not sure if you have it in the states, but COLD FX works. I was sick as a dog whenever a cold hit, now I have not had a cold in over a year. Hope you feel better soon! posted by: Janice at January 1, 2007 11:18 AM Auntie Erin, I am soooooo sorry I got you sick. I can bring you chicken soup if you like. Mommy says to try mucinex and gargle with salt water. posted by: kendra at January 1, 2007 02:53 PM dayquil by day. happy, happy ms. ejshea. posted by: randi at January 3, 2007 02:25 PM |
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Alka Seltzer Plus Cold are HEAVEN. They dissolve in water so it gets into your system rather quickly. It's the only thing I take when I get sick (and like you, I get colds a lot!)
http://www.alka-seltzer.com/asp/
posted by: Andrea at December 29, 2006 01:15 PM