I can handle that! It's the uncommon cold that drives me wacko! You'd think if scientists can dissect genes to determine whether you're susceptible to getting cancer, they'd come up with something...anything, to get rid of a full-blown head and chest cold. You'd think if they can develop a formula to change pond scum into fuel for cars, they could concoct a formula to keep your head from feeling like it's going to explode when you cough. If they can build anti-missile shields to protect entire countries from being nuked, you'd think they could make a barrier to prevent germs from entering the atmosphere to unleash nuggie-havoc on a city. I mean if they can produce a microwave that heats cold soup in thirty seconds, why can they produce a machine to cook a virus before it takes hold of an entire town?
I tried my best to stay away from folks and avoid bugs and viruses this season. I rarely shake hands. Whenever I shop at Wal-mart I use their handy-dandy sanitizer wipes to clean off my shopping cart handles. There's a certain barrier against illness if one becomes a germ-aphobe. I almost did not go for dinner at my daughter's the night she said her hubby had a fever and awful cold. (She'd been telling me how he'd worked all day in the cold with that fever. We both shook our heads. Men!) He's battled that cold for weeks now. Looking back, I think I should have eaten my beans and hot dogs instead of my daughter's roast beef.
I first felt my cold coming on with an overwhelming tiredness. I shook it off as leftover moving exhaustion. I thought maybe I spent too much time in walking in the woods with my grandchildren last weekend. When my tiredness gave way to a strange scratchy throat, I knew. I stopped kissing my husband hello and goodbye. He didn't need my germs. Zicam does not work for me. Gives me the shakes. So I loaded up with pro-biotics, upped my intake of water, and made some chicken soup. It seemed to do the trick. I felt much better for two days. I stopped taking pro-biotics, went back to drinking my coffee and believed I'd warded off evil. I even announced my success on Facebook. I went to my old house and finished packing my estate-sale leftovers for storage. Woo-hoo! I am woman! The next thing I know, a stuffy head shows up and a fever hit. Then, nothing worked. Dayquil during the day and Nyquil tablets at night. A cough arrived with a vengeance. Mucinex DM barely granted an hour's worth of sleep. Hacking began; then wheezing. Within 24-hours a full blown chest cold with all its usual gunk struck. I got laryngitis. Bad laryngitis--the kind that hurts when you even try to talk. I bought a humidifier.
I coughed all night. I coughed all day; I beat my chest to get the phlegm to loosen up. My head feels like the NCAA basketball teams are tromping through it. Thinking is nearly impossible. I thought about my son-in-law who works in construction and sets his aches, pains, sprains, fevers and head-colds aside to finish a job--to keep a commitment. I thought about my daughter and all the other mothers who get up and tend to toddlers, homeschool, and do the laundry when they are sick and dog-tired. I thought about how so many soldiers stand guard all night with colds as bad, or pains far worse than I have. Why am I complaining? I guess because I can. Hence, the column you read today. Forgive me. At least I didn't mention politics. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Comments