LUMPING

LUMPING

I have coughed five thousand times in the past week. I have little energy.

Why is it that when you have a “significant” cold, things like walking from one room to the other become almost insurmountable?

And the sore throat. On fire. I went to my social media friends to ask for sore throat remedies, and I got so many suggestions. As I posted this at midnight, I could not implement any of them, because I was in the dark in my pajamas. I thought the suggestions I would get would be to utilize stuff I had on hand, like honey. Yes, honey was suggested, and it did nothing for my throat. But I got some very interesting ideas for future sore throats

  • Eat three (no more, no less) marshmallows
  • Use propolis, which I do not know what that is
  • Gargle with vinegar, which sounds sore throat inducing
  • Suck on root turmeric (What??)
  • Take a shot of bourbon
  • Oregano tablets-there are oregano tablets?

You get the picture. But the sore throat subsided on its own.

Then, yesterday, I got the deep chest cough. You know the one–it is ok as long as you are vertical. You cough, and then stop. But LIE DOWN and you are doomed to a cough cycle that never ends. Thus, no sleep for you! I have to admit that I texted a friend last night at 1:45, and she answered. And she doesn’t have a cold at the moment. I felt better that I was not the only person sitting in the dark at 1:45.

After two cups of tea and honey, with no respite lying down, I got up again and emailed my doctor. At 4:15. I pleaded for help, but prayed that he wouldn’t answer right then, because 4:15. I stared out the window for a few minutes, remembered to “feed a cold,” and had an English muffin. That was delicious, and I didn’t cough once while eating it. So I went back to bed.

We have the “old people” bed, the one made up of two single mattresses that you can lower and raise at will. I configured my side sort of like a recliner, and finally dozed off.

So today, I am sick and tired. I have no “get up and go” anywhere inside me. So I am lumping. Sagging into the sofa in a heap and staying there with not a glimmer of desire to do even the simplest of tasks. I gave myself a full-on pep talk in order to shuffle to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I hope I will have the wherewithal to stumble into the tv room to watch a Christmas movie, but people in movies walk around so much. It’s exhausting to watch all that bustling.

My doctor did answer my email this morning, like a well person who sleeps all night long. He told me, and this is verbatim, to “try not to cough.” He did prescribe a cough medicine, however, that precipitated a call from the pharmacist, who cautioned that this particular formula might make me very sleepy. Apparently, if one is over 65, one must take the syrup while already in bed, it’s that strong.

I cannot wait until tonight.