Cold of dooooooom.

[rivka]

Yesterday morning before church, my throat felt a little scratchy.

By the time we got home and I put Alex down for a nap, things had progressed to the point where all I could do was lie in bed, shivering weakly.

Sore throat, body aches, alternating chills and sweats, stuffy nose, and this thing where I literally had to open my left eye this morning with my fingers because it was too gunky to open by itself. Yuck.

In two days, I have to get on a plane and fly to San Diego to deliver a paper at a scientific meeting.

Dooooooom.

I have stayed home from work today. I am going to drink tea, sleep, and read Georgette Heyer all day. Woe is me.

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I hope it passes quickly. Flying cross-country with a cold is no fun at all.

[writingortyping.livejournal.com]

aieee. Sorry to hear that. Though I heartily approve of tea and Heyer as rhinovirus palliatives.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Agreed. And I have recently become a convert to the cult of Zicam.

I hope you feel better quickly, rivka.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Yay, Zicam. It won't cure a cold, but it's helped me avoid getting them for several years, and it can shorten the duration.

My other palliative for nasal congestion is a good, old-fashioned vaporizer - steam+Vicks VapoRub and a towel to make a tent I can shove my head into.

Speedy healing, rivka.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

What's the deal with Zicam, anyway? The box said "homeopathic," and I'm resistant to spending $11.99 for a box full of water. And yet the "these claims have not been evaluated by the FDA" message wasn't anywhere on the box.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

I know it's marked as homeopathic, and I was really resistant to trying it for that reason. Nevertheless, it did seem to work in reducing the severity and duration of both Dale's and my colds (one each) this winter.

[ailbhe]

Oh ick. You poor thing. I've recently discovered that there's a point on the back of my neck I can rub to get sinus relief, and a yoga position that does the same thing; I lie on my back, then prop myself up on my elbows so my back is arched, and crane my head back until the crown of my head touches the floor. Trying to reach the same position standing up helps but not quite as much.

I have no idea why scrunching my neck muscles up this way helps my sinuses, but it does, and it might be worth a try. It's a week since we 4 were declared unfit to fly.

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

I don't know why the neck-rubbing works, but I can explain the yoga position. It's just more evidence against the human body being evidence of intelligent design :) The maxillary sinuses (the ones behind your cheekbones) are roughly pyramid-shaped. The problem is their only opening is a) small, so whenever the lining swells up the opening closes, and b) at the apex. Yes, the opening is pointing to the sky, so any mucus that accumulates in your sinuses can just sit there, instead of draining. (Well, OK, the villi of the mucosal cells push stuff up and out, but there's only so much they can do.) By turning your head upside-down, you can get a gravity assist and let stuff out of your sinuses.

[iamjw.livejournal.com]

The eye ick could be conjunctivitis, which can sometimes accompany a cold. It will clear up very quickly with anitbiotics.

As to the rest...I'm sending warming thoughts and maybe a little tea with honey. And onion soup because that's what helped me last time I felt like that.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Nah, I've had conjunctivitis before, and it's totally unmistakable. I don't have any pain, itchiness, or redness.

Tea and soup are fine, fine ideas.

[selki.livejournal.com]

My home remedy for colds/congestion is gargling with warm salt water. It acts to loosen things up, and I think the little salt bits knock mucus off my throat. Salt water also kills bacteria, doesn't it? Anyway, the back of my mouth feels cleaner after doing it.

I hope the Georgette Heyer has been soothing, and your flight and presentation go well!

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Hopefully the Cold of Doom will depart as rapidly as it arrived.

[ratphooey.livejournal.com]

That very ague went through our household last month.

The eye gunk? Icky!

Get well soon.

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

Ew. Hope recovery is swift.

If you need more sleep, download some radio shows from archive.org. I find, anyway, that there's nothing like the sound of talking to put me under, even when I think I'm getting interested.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I hope you can find decongestants that work, for that plane ride. Wow.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Airplane rides are curative.

B