Hope it’s a false alarm

About 1:30 we were talking in my office—he needed to leave to set up for a quilt show at the church, and I planned to come over about 2:30 and take some photos.  Then I sneezed.  And then sneezed again, and again, and again, and again. Then I got a chill.  This is not the usual start of a cold for me, but I thought, between sneezes, maybe I should not go.  So I took and antihistamine and nap. Now listening to Vivaldi, sneezing and blowing my nose, drinking fluids.

Fortunately, I had everything ready for supper, and it will go in the oven for an hour. Sweet sour chicken from my new cookbook.

Last night I watched the Hallmark movie Love on Iceland.   Great scenery.  Main character Chloe gets her old college travel group together for a spectacular trip. Of course, her old boyfriend joins the group. Good acting, and fabulous setting.  I fell asleep at the end, but I know how these end. Happy ever after. https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/home-and-family/videos/kaitlin-doubleday-love-on-iceland-interview-home-and-family

How disgusting!

After riding four miles on the cycle at the Lifetime Fitness center I switched to the treadmill.  Because it was Saturday, it’s a bit more crowded than usual and almost all the machines in that row were busy.  So I’m moving along at 2.5 mph reading my JAMA when I hear someone blowing her nose—a very juicy, sick as a dog, sort of sound.  I looked to my left and saw a very thin blonde woman blowing her nose on one of the towels that are provided for showers by the gym.  Oh yuk!  Although I would not be surprised if a guy were doing that, I’d never seen that behavior from a woman.  Or was she?  I looked again.  Hard to tell.

So what does work? The common cold

With three events cancelled this week, we're still slogging through my husband's annual holiday cold, or so it seems. My colds usually last three weeks, his two weeks. "Americans spent about $3.6 billion on over-the-counter cold, cough and throat remedies in 2009 . . . In addition, cold and flu sufferers will spend millions of dollars on prescription antibiotics that have no effect on viral infections." according to a NYT health/money article. And I know that, but was out there helping the profit margin at CVS and Wal-Mart refreshing our supply of dated OTC cold "remedies," none of which seem to work. This time I bought real Claritin because I couldn't find the generic Loratadine that I like, and I bought a different unbrand antihistamine because the one we like wasn't around anywhere. We also used the old faithfuls of more bed rest, chicken broth, and a whole lot of football (which is the only plus for holiday colds). For the first time my husband put Vicks on the soles of his feet instead of his neck--that remedy is going around the internet! The article continues:

"So, what does work? While few, if any, medicines can shorten the duration of a cold, some can help reduce the onerous symptoms of upper respiratory infections. Nasal sprays shrink swollen blood vessels and relieve stuffy noses, though the relief is temporary and you should not use spray for more than three days.

Acetaminophen and ibuprofen can reduce fevers and body aches. Rinsing your nasal passages with a saline solution or breathing steam can help loosen mucous and increase nasal secretions, which can help to prevent a secondary sinus infection. Humidifiers and hot showers also help. Drinking warm liquids like tea has been shown to reduce a variety of cold and flu symptoms.

And don’t forget chicken soup. The age-old remedy, as you’ve no doubt heard, actually does help to reduce the symptoms of the common cold."

So far, I haven't caught his cold, but I'll touch a door handle or table top at the coffee shop that a germy 2 year old's parent recently used and I'll then be down for the count. If that's the worst health problem I experience at my age, I'll be grateful for the cold. (My New Year's resolution is "practice gratitude and appreciation.")

HT Tara Parker Pope of NYT