Thursday, December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas Eve (sniff, sneeze) !!

In keeping with my Christmas holiday tradition, I'm sick.  My guess is from the portfolio critique session at the College where I heard at least four people sneezing.  I'll never do that again ... I'll never do that again ... I'll never do that again!!!  How can a stuffed up nose become a waterfall in an instant?  Watery eyes, sneezing, can't breath, headache ... if there's a symptom, I've got it!!

It all started yesterday morning with a couple of sneezes, achey neck and shoulders and a nice sinus headache.  I have become the dreaded mouth breather, which is really nothing new in my house.  When I was a kid in grammar school, the only game I liked to play was tetherball.  Unfortunately, I wasn't very good at it.  I can't tell you how many times I got slammed in the face and was sent to the Principal's office with a bloody nose.  That has resulted in a lifetime of not being able to breathe through my nose, which doesn't help my current situation at ALL.

THIS however, is MUCH worse ... sort of feels like a vise is clamped on my face with no relief in sight.  The only thing I have found that works, short of going to the doctor (good luck with that, it's Christmas) is hovering over my morning coffee, or hot honey-lemon water as the case may be.  If I breath in the steam long enough, the pressure lets up a little.
I tried to sleep sitting up on the couch last night with just a quilt throw, but without my electric blanket, it got a little chilly.  With my handy dandy little fireplace remote, I set the temperature to 68 and tried to sleep.  It worked pretty well, even though the dogs were growling and fighting for space, until the fireplace came on with a WHOOSH that scared me right up off the couch, not to mention the poor dogs who fell to the floor!!

No Cooper, it's not play time ... it's 3:00 in the morning for crying out loud.  GO TO SLEEP!!

My plan today is to dump everything "beef soup" into a pot on the stove and hang my head over my coffee until I can somewhat breath, load up on advil and try to stay warm on the couch for the entire day.  I have six full days before departure.  Wish me luck!!  I really don't want to end up back at the Emergency Room on Christmas morning like last year.





12 comments:

  1. Boil a pot of water, get a large towel to cover your head with & then you can get the steam from that. Just be VERY careful not to get burned from the steam. I hope you feel better, it's no fun being sick on Christmas Eve or Christmas....heck, it's no fun being sick at all.
    Liz-Boise

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    1. I tried this Liz and it worked MUCH better than my little coffee cup. Thank you and Merry Christmas!!

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  2. If you are too cold sleeping on the couch, try adding a sweat suit or even a sweat suit with thermal underwear. You just have to adjust the layers to the temp. I've heard that PP&G tried to outlaw thermal underwear in California, but they weren't successful. Glad you have 6 days. It may take all six for your symptoms to run their course. I'll be waiting to read Vladdy's comments on the recommended sleeping attire. Good luck and get well soon. Jim

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    1. That actually worked Jim .... thank you. I've now slept in this sweatshirt for two days and I'm happy to say I'm MUCH warmer. I will probably have to wash it twice before wearing it again!!

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  3. Vyaadka tell how to feel better. Follow directions exactly: 1 cup Vodka, 2 pinches of sugar, 1/2 cup Vodka, shake well and drink. Does not make well but you do not care. In Rusia we do not call longjohns we call longIvans which is Russian for John. Vyaadka do not know who PP&G is but in Siberia we wear many thermal underwear or we would freeze our asssk me how it is in Siberia. Vyaadka agree with Jim. Ms Nancy be much better in six days.

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    1. What I would do for a bottle of vodka right now!! I like your recipe Vyaadka!!! Maybe I should order a pair of longivans from Russia ... I'm sure I would be warmer with Ivan wrapped around me!!

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  4. Hey my kind of a hot toddy instead of one cup of vodka I would use 151 rum instead it's not as sweet
    as for the sugar that's for a night on the town with with her girlfriends and it kind of sounds like a girly drink But please do add one ice cube and a half a cup of 151 Bacardi rum. Now if it's a girly drink you really after I suppose you could put in three slices of bananas
    But remember you're only trying to get rid of the sniffles Although the bananas are a good form of potassium
    When you get through you could always give the bananas to Cooper Jesse and Jonathan it'll help them to sleep through the night
    Merry Christmas from Sunny hot Florida

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    1. Yikes!! I've tried 151 before. That's a good remedy cuz I'd be out like a light for a week at least!! I'm thinking I need to find a nice warm spot to go for Christmas from now on!!

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  5. My worst year was when the extended family slept on the floor in Dave's mother's living room. It turned out several of us are allergic to Christmas trees so sleeping that close to it was bad news. I learned another year that poinsettias give me the same "cold" symptoms. Hope you recover enough to enjoy your trip.

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    1. Allergic to trees? I bet you felt about the same as I do now!! I'm trying hard to get better. Staying warm, not going outside if I can help it and drinking lots of fluids. I sure hope it goes away fast cuz this is the pits!!

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  6. Took me three weeks to get over my California cold, and Marcia is still showing a few signs of it to this day (she got it about a week after me).

    Merry Christmas Nancy.

    Dave and Marcia

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    1. Don't say that Dave!!! Yeah I imagine this will hang on for awhile. I just want to get better enough so I can drive for four hours without pulling over. Once I get past that first day, I should be good. Merry Christmas to you and Marcia!!

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