I almost never get sick. I’ve had two colds since 1997. I don’t even remember the last time I had a full-fledged flu, even though I’ve never had a flu shot. Sometimes I feel like I’m about to get sick, but then I fight it off. I attribute it to good clean healthy living of course. Ha! (Really I attribute it to good luck and a lifetime of subjecting my body to dirt, stress and other things that encouraged my immune system to grow a thick skin.)
But now I’m sick. I spent a week trying to fight it off, and then it seized me by the throat and shook me like a dog shakes a groundhog. I have a cold. I’m coughing. I’ve lost my voice. I get hot and then I suddenly get cold, and then I have to take a hot bath to get warm again. I’m not taking any medications for it, because I have a theory: each of the symptoms serves a purpose, and if you suppress the symptoms, you prolong the illness. For example when you take cough syrup, you’re not only suppressing your cough, you’re also suppressing your body’s mechanism for ridding itself of the cold.
At first it was kind of interesting being sick. You know, forcing myself not only to go to work, but to walk the whole 7 kilometers just to see if I could do it without any energy; trying to figure out why I feel stupid when I’m sick; wondering if anybody else experiences ear-squeaking while blowing their nose; answering the phone with no voice; noticing that I keep trying to talk to the dog even though I have no voice and he’s deaf. That kind of thing.
The novelty is starting to wear off though.
But taking your cold to work is offering it to your colleagues. You want the symptoms to lead to the body curing itself and it’s true that your immune system can helpfully rise up and fight. However, you’re ignoring the overall picture of giving your immune system a chance by resting, keeping warm, and keeping your germs to yourself. The presence of a cold is not necessarily just a group of symptoms…you’re tired, so rest. Then your immune system can go to work and you can do the extra juice and cozy feel-better things. Get well soon!
Sorry you’re sick zoom.
I believe in taking something so you will feel better. You might be right that taking something prolongs the duration of the cold, but if you feel ok, what difference does it make? Colds always go away no matter what you do, and for myself, I’d rather feel better.
I agree with Gillian that you shouldn’t go to work. And that is the end of my helpful advice about how to be sick
Get well soon.
Thank God you cancelled the party…we’d all hate to get your cold and it would be too late to reach everyone if you had waited till today. Maybe you are psychic too????
My ears used to squeak. Back when I blew my nose. But I don’t do that any more.
Feel better soon!!
Susan, that’s terrible that you’re so ill. Though I admire the purist impulse behind refusing all medication, I’m not sure it’s the very best approach. I tend to advocate (as you probably know) vitamins, herbs, and other naturopathic things that encourage your body to get rid of the thing. They don’t just mask the symptoms. Here are some suggestions: lemon and honey in hot water, thyme (one tablespoon per cup) steeped in hot water (both good for your throat), echinacea and goldenseal (kills the bad stuff), Vitamin A, C and E (anti-oxidants – also kill the bad stuff) and, of course, my all-healing carrot soup. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about my cure-all carrot soup!
I find when I am congested, I don’t sleep well and this makes me feel even worse.
If I take the “night-time” cold drugs – something with an anti-histamine and a low-ish dose of decongestant, I sleep way better.
Of course, these drugs are the product of evil drug companies and only tested in government approved studies. Unlike the virtuous herbal remedies that have been proven over the millenia and are the reason why people in ancient times lived so much longer than they do now.