When you have a cold, when you have the flu, what do you reach for, what do you do? What do you want? I want…
My mommy. Who doesn’t, right? But now I’m the mommy, even, sometimes, to my husband when he is sick. I take care of him. My girl of course has been super healthy but the few times she’s felt bad she definitely needs her mommy, too. My own mom is good for an email or call, but she can’t drop everything and drive 2 hours to take care of me.
Sleep. Preferably in bed or on the couch covered up in several blankets with the TV on very low in the background. I sleep better when I’m sick that way. I can slowly tune out and trick my body into not coughing, nose dripping, etc because it thinks I’m still awake. Love it.
Chicken soup. Homemade of course if at all possible. I do generally keep a can or two of Campbell’s and some extra broth as well. Seriously, if you need chicken broth, come to me. I buy it when it’s 50 cents at the holidays. Now why it’s not currently on sale is beyond me. It used to go on sale at Thanksgiving and Christmas and this year I didn’t see it on sale at Christmas, which bums me out. If I’m really desperate, I’ll drag a blanket around my shoulders and pour a couple of cans of broth into a pan and toss in a handful of quick cooking noodles once it’s boiling. It’s cheater chicken noodle, but the broth is awesome for your sinuses, you know? Plus it’s mild enough that if your stomach rebels, it won’t hurt making a return trip. Sorry.
Know what else is good for your sinuses? Salsa. The hotter the better. Know how your nose runs if you eat really hot food? Yeah. If I have any salsa on hand, bring on the chips.
7 up (aka ‘white soda’) is my drink of choice when I’m sick. Water is probably better for you, but at the point where you NEED to stay hydrated, if you’re not motivated, you won’t. Grab a colorful straw as if you’re a kid and sip your way to better health.
Vitamins. I definitely take more when I’m sick.
If I can possibly stomach it and it’s more of a cold thing, orange juice. The vitamin C of course is why.
Tissues. Lots and lots of tissues. One time I went through a giant box in under 24 hours. I try and keep a bunch in my house, so if that ever happens again, we won’t have to go to town. I don’t have any back ups right now, but I have some in nearly every room, so I’d just have to do a ’tissue transfer’, aka take some from the kitchen and put them in the living room, etc.
You notice what I left off, right? Medicine. Since being pregnant with my daughter almost 3 years ago (ouch), I haven’t taken much medicine for illness. For one thing, I was a very healthy pregnant and nursing mother and that only stopped at Easter of this year. I’ve had some minor things since then, and typically I’ll only take something if I really can’t sleep. Note: Mothers need sleep, especially mothers of toddlers who only take one nap. When I was younger, I’d dope myself up on Nyquil (liquid-red only please) and Dayquil. Then I’d float through the day and have a hard time sleeping. Now, if I tried buying both at once, I’d probably get carded, fingerprinted, and asked why I had 2 bottles of cold medicine. It was of course after becoming a mom that I realized that taking the medicines were just making it last longer and the symptoms worse.
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Ari from A Prawn of Fate has agreed to host in January, by the way! Thanks Ari!
Would like to play along. Thanks for hosting December.
Sleep!!!!! I love sleep. It’s a wonderful way to miss being sick.
Luckily, we don’t really get sick much. Occasional stomach bug, but that’s about it. Medicine really is a last resort in my house too.
I’m definitely there with you on the sleep and the hot stuff. I don’t like taking cold medicine. The supposedly “non-drowsy” stuff puts me to sleep as fast as the nighttime stuff. I’m already groggy from being sick, so why make it worse?