Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Hab A Colb?

by Cassondra Murray



I do.

Sucks.

Wait. Correct that. It blows.

I've had it since Saturday night, but I'm way tired of it already.

Generally, I am not sick much. This is a good thing because I'm a lousy sick person.

I get whiney, impatient and needy and want somebody to take care of me.

My husband, Steve, does an admirable job of this, actually, which I do not understand, because when Steve is sick with some kind of bug, it goes something like the following:

"Honey," I say, "your fever is 110, which puts you near death. I think you should call in to work and tell them you're sick."

"Can't," he says. "Have a patient coming from a thousand miles away, across burning lava fields and shark infested waters. Little old lady who won't let anybody draw her blood but me."

Later that day, while he wears a mask at work to keep from killing said little old lady and everyone else....

"Honey," I say, (on the phone this time) "how's your headache and fever?"

"About the same."

"Have you taken any Ibuprofen?"

"Yeah, I took some earlier."

“Do you think it’s time for more?”

“I’m waiting for this to kick in.”

"What time did you take it last?"

"This morning. "

"What time this morning?"

"Before I left the house." ( It's now two in the afternoon. )

"Honey, it's a four-hour medicine. You left the house at 7."

"Oh. I guess it's time for another dose."

Later that evening...

"Honey, how's your head?"

"About the same."

"Have you had any pain meds?"

"Yes. They're not working."

"They didn't work at all????!!!!"

"Well, it eased up for a few minutes, but it's back."

"How long ago did you take them?"

"When you called me at work. ."

"Honey, that was 2 o'clock. It's 9 now. That's 7 hours ago."

"Oh."

Now I promise you that Steve is a bright boy, and he can count to four and tell time. But when he's sick, he watches movies, cleans guns, pigs out on the junkiest food we have in the house (I don't keep junk food, but when he's sick, he will stop to buy some), piddles around the house, and does what he normally does. Oh, except he stays up all night. He does not normally do that. Except when he's sick.






I have to nag him into eating healthy food, hydrating, taking meds and resting. He refuses to cooperate with anything even potentially sensible. It's like being sick brings out the stubborn in him.


When he's sick, I'll get up at 3 in the morning, and find him at the computer, in a bathrobe with nothing under it, barefooted on our cold hardwood floors, with the thermostat set at 58 degees. He'll be huddled in the computer chair, shivering and miserable.

"What the blue bloody blazes are you doing up," I say, "and fanning around the house half naked when you're sick?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Did you take your Nyquil?"

"I had some earlier. I’m waiting for it to kick in.."

Yeah….like eight hours earlier. And here we go again.

When he's sick, I can't make him take care of himself. He does it the hard way. Fights off that dirty rotten virus alone, lonely and cold, in the middle of the street at midnight, with his bare hands, dammit.

I am the complete opposite. I crawl into bed under a mountain of covers with an enormous stack of pillows and a book, and wait for help to arrive.

And arrive it does.

"How's your head?" Steve says as he comes through the bedroom door.

"Hurzz"

"How's your nose?"

"Stobbed up."

"Not feeling any better at all?"

"Wah."

He comes into the room and pokes a thermometer in my mouth, which almost certainly reads the same as it did two hours ago, but he pours out the next dose of Robitussin and stands at the ready as I gag it down (Is that stuff gross or what?) and reach for my water chaser, which he also has ready, cap open, so I can get rid of the vile stuff as quickly as possible. He puts another blanket on the bed, and makes sure everything is in place.


Fresh glass of orange juice? Check. Bottle of water I'm drinking now, plus one or two more for backup? Check. Extra blankets? Check. Box of Puffs Plus? Check. A 600-pack of Hall's Honey Lemon cough drops, plus two extra 600-packs in the drawer?
Check. Enough cold meds of every kind to last until the end of time...you know...just in case he should time it wrong and I wake up in need while he's out feeding dogs? Check.

I have a distinct preference for the Medicated into a numb state kind of lousy feeling over the running nose, sneezing, can't breathe, cough yourself into an oxygen-deprived stupor kind of lousy feeling.

Tonight he called from the grocery store (where he was buying more of my favorite orange juice (all-natural, not from concentrate, lots-of-pulp please) to ask what I wanted to eat. I wanted Teriyaki Chicken, so he drove across town to the best Japanese place to get two orders. No huffing and puffing on his part, and absolutely no guilt thrown.

I honestly do not understand this phenomenon.

Could it be that some latent gene lies within him? Could it be that when I’m sick and in bed for long periods during the daytime, the gene activates, based on some primordial fear that if I am not well soon, there will be never again be clean laundry?

I dunno.

Yes, I can function when I’m sick and do just fine. I have done it in the past at a rather high level, and I likely will have to do so again. But I don’t like it. I’m a rotten sickie.

Last night when I was firmly sandbagged into my warm, pillowed, healing place, I read Kate Carlisle’s fabulous new mystery, IF BOOKS COULD KILL. Nothing like a good mystery when it's snowing outside and you're sick. Tonight I think I’ll go for Anna Campbell’s latest while I nurse my poor nose and sip my new orange juice.


You should see the stack of dishes in the kitchen. I am fairly certain that we are out of clean plates and silverware, and so I will have to get up and come back to the realm of regular people and do home maintenance at some point soon.

But not now.

Cuz I hab a colb.



So what about it?

What kind of sickie are you? Are you a stubborn, “can’t keep ‘em down” sickie?

Or do you sandbag yourself into a comfy spot and wait for the cavalry?

Do you like to be left completely alone to lie in a pool of your own misery while you heal?

Or do you like to be taken care of and pampered?

What do you crave when you’re sick?

And what absolutely must be available? Lotion enhanced tissues? Orange soda? Sherbet and 7-up?

Do you keep the pharmaceutical companies in business with your supplies of Nyquil, Dayquil, and Robitussin?

Or do you tough it out with the aspirin and hot water bottle?

What’s your poison when you're in bed sick or hab a colb?

89 comments:

PinkPeony said...

Cassondra... I hope you feel better soon.

Won ton soup or matzo ball soup with good chicken broth...get it to go from a restaurant. Chicken broth has magical powers! Drink TheraFlu and get yourself a new toothbrush. No use shoving the same germs in your mouth.

Donna MacMeans said...

Cassondra -

Hugs on the cold...distant hugs that is.

Fortunately, I'm not sick that often. I'm sure I'm a model patient though in truth, I block those memories out (grin). I would love to be pampered, but there's rarely anyone around to do that for me so I have to soldier on. My daughter will bring me chicken noodle soup if she's home, and my husband will ask what he can do for me- do it- and then disappear for a few hours.

Must have OJ (like you I like the not-concentrated and bits of pulp variety), Diet Coke, and medicinal chocolate ice cream. All the stuff that used to work to clear my nose is now illegal - so I must also have my personal box of Puffs with lotion glued to my hand... and the TV remote - for those times when I can't seem to make sense of the words on a page.

Hope you feel better soon.

Helen said...

Congrats PinkPeony have fun with him

Cassondra

I do hope you feel better soon there is nothing worse than a cold or flu but for me I just keep going I take panadol for the headaches and I must have boxes of aloe vera and eucalyptus tissues they are the only things I must have I cannot stand my nose hurting and red and dry hence the tissues.I try not to do too much and take any chance I can to sit down in a compfy chair and read. My other half Ron is very good when he has a cold which he rarely gets I might add but he tends to just want to sit and watch TV and ask me to get him a drink here and there.

Get better soon but think about all the great books you can read.

Have Fun
Helen

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Bless your heart, just make sure you hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
I personally would love the pampering but it me and my son and though he gives it his best shot he figures the best thing to do is leave mom alone. I have had to call him from my bedroom because I couldn't shout over the tv in his room.
I crave food a lot when I am sick but since I have a cold I can't taste it anyway. Besides, I would have to be the one to make it so there you go.
I like 7-up or Sprite to drink and lots and lots of water.
If I start stuffing up I take Nyquil liquid tabs, can't stomach the real stuff, but if I catch it quick enough I don't suffer too much.
Even with a cold I do try to work although as I have gotten older I can't seem to get the old body to cooperate so well.
Feel better soon sweetie. Sleep a lot and stay warm.

Anna Sugden said...

Feel better, Sweetie! Sending lysol-doused hugs.

I'm a 'take the biggest, baddest drug to kill the darn thing' kind of person. I hate being ill, so want it over and done with. None of this 'my body is a temple' business - blast the bugs!
Having worked in the cold meds business, I know what to take *g*.

I used to forge ahead, but these days I'm more sensible and head to bed. I like to be looked after - lots of hot tea, chicken soup, feline cuddles. And, the fabulous tissues that have lotion in them. Used to bring them over from the UK because I swear these are the best ever.

Lovely Hubby, on the other hand, is another of those males who doesn't seem to remember that medicine does actually help ease the symptoms (he should know, he used to formulate the darned stuff!)! He also forgets that 'it's just a cold', because of course he has the most virulent form of some rare lurgy that is probably life-threatening. *g*

Dianna Love said...

Cassondra - Hugs on having the crud. I'm laughing over your rundown on Steve being sick. I can see him cavemanning his way through an illness.

I hate to be sick or waited on, but my husband is the best at taking care of me if I do get really bad. I suck at nursing (which might be why he stays healthy all the time - fear of me taking care of him). The minute I can stand upright or sit upright I'm moving again. I hate to be still so if I climb into bed feeling bad he gets worried.

My mom (who had 5 kids in the house) would clean everything from top to bottom when a bug struck our household. Now, we wash sheets, change toothbrushes - try to kill any germs. I find those new Airborne tablets are good, too.

Christie Kelley said...

Cassondra, hugs on the cold.

I honestly can't remember the last time I had a full blown out cold. I know everyone will want to throw stuff at me but it's true. I honestly believe it's the one tablet of olive leaf that I take every day. I started taking it when a friend told me it helps with blood pressure (a family issue) so I started it. After about a year on it, I realized that my blood pressure hadn't changed. But, I went a whole year without being sick! I have two school age kids. That just doesn't happen. That was several years ago. Every now and then I'll start to feel like I'm coming down with something, I double the olive leaf, and within 3 days it's gone.

Now, when I do get sick, as much as I'd love to hide under the covers for a few days, I can't. With two kids and all the stuff that goes with it, I have to keep on going.

I do love ginger ale when I'm sick and the tissues with lotion are a must! And hot tea with honey. I usually lose my taste for food but I love chicken soup.

Feel better soon!

Marnee Bailey said...

Feel better soon, Cassondra!

I generally medicate, but then manage my way through my normal day. I have to be pretty sick to be tucked into bed. I need to be in the middle of everything all the time. It's really sad. I'm all nosy that way.

My DH needs some serious pampering when he's sick though. He doesn't tolerate being uncomfortable very well.

Nancy said...

PinkPeony, congrats on the rooster! Won ton soup sounds great in this weather, even for healthy people.

Nancy said...

Cassondra, what I like to do when I'm sick depends on how sick I am. If I have a stuffy head and a low-grade fever, I take Advil Cold and Sinus, drink lots of hot tea and water, and retreat to the bed to read. Being too sick to read is just ucky in my universe.

If I'm really sick, high fever, achy, etc. (though I would throw in the towel way long before Steve does), I take Advil, drink water, and retreat to the bed to sulk. The dh is more than willing to fix tea and soup, but he thinks two or three minutes for tea to steep is plenty. I like it to go longer, especially with herbal teas, which smell great but taste like hot water unless they steep for a long time.

Deb said...

Cassondra, I hope you are feeling better soon.

If I have a nasty cold, I like my comfort foods: hot, sweet tea; mashed potatoes; toast...

If my husband is home, he's fairly good about taking care of me. But, we moms never really get to rest because there is always something to do. Even when I had bronchitis this last fall and felt like I'd been hit by a 10 ton truck, I had things to do and couldn't totally ignore my daughter Shary. Thank goodness for a t.v. in the bedroom.

Hugs to you.

Trish Milburn said...

Cassondra, you could have been describing the situation at the Milburn house when sickness is involved. What is it with men and their absolute stubbornness to take care of themselves? The dh will NOT go to a doctor unless he has literally heaved up a lung -- which I've wondered if he might do a few times lately. Me, I do what you do because I want to get better sooner rather than later. We're talking Vitamin C pills and juice, chicken noodle soup, the Neti pot to clean out the sinuses, etc. And I will sleep a lot because I think the body heals faster that way.

Hope you feel better soon. You're right -- being sick blows.

Hellie Sinclair said...

I hope you feel better soon. Drink some chicken soup. It always helps!!

I'm not sick too often. I usually sandbag myself, but I am my own cavalry. (I'm very single.) I'm a huge fan of Nyquil and lots of sleeping. If I can't sleep, I wrap up on the couch, turn on the TODAY show, and stare at it in a stupor. But most of the time, I can sleep. Let's be real.

And I love lots of pulp in my OJ too! *LOL*

Unknown said...

So sorry to hear your sick! I don't get sick that often but when I do I still have to keep everything done myself, I can't go to bed. I have to keep going. Its just another day for me. One thing is for sure my hubby want take care of me. I just do the asprin thing and eat soup.

Cassondra said...

Pink Peony Hi!

Huge congrats on the bird! I have not tried teh Wonton soup or matzo ball soup. I do chicken noodle soup of course, but it's the canned kind. I never have homemade chicken broth, it seems, when I get sick. Yes. Yes, I know. I should make it and freeze it. But every time I'm sick I've used it all up or haven't made any lately and I'm stuck with canned, and I figure what's the point if it's canned, right?

Cassondra said...

Donna said:

All the stuff that used to work to clear my nose is now illegal - so I must also have my personal box of Puffs with lotion glued to my hand... and the TV remote - for those times when I can't seem to make sense of the words on a page.


Donna! Soul sister with the puff's plus!

And what is up with that illegal pseudoephedrine thing, anyway? Yes, I understand completely what the nasties are doing with it. But when you can't breathe, you can't breathe, ya know? I may have to stop by the counter today and actually sign and get some of the real thing.

The new Nyquil is not cutting it.

Cassondra said...

Helen said:

I must have boxes of aloe vera and eucalyptus tissues they are the only things I must have I cannot stand my nose hurting and red and dry hence the tissues

Me too, Helen, on the tissues. I normally get the regular Puffs plus Lotion, but this time I accidentally picked up Puffs Plus with Vicks additive. I admit that I don't like it. It has a bit of a burn to it for me, and I'm afraid to wipe my eyes with it.

I wonder if I'd like your aloe and eucalyptus better. The eucalyptus is one of the main ingredients in Vicks, so maybe they're the same though.

I feel like a spoiled brat when I'm sick and run out of Puffs Plus and Steve has to go to town just for that. This time I bought a five-pack when I felt my throat getting scratchy.

Cassondra said...

a.k.a. Dianna said:

I personally would love the pampering but it me and my son and though he gives it his best shot he figures the best thing to do is leave mom alone. I have had to call him from my bedroom because I couldn't shout over the tv in his room.


OOOOOH, now there's a thought. (grin) I'll make sure Steve keeps his phone with him for those few times when he's not near. (You know, I think more than anything, it's the sense of HAVING HIM THERE that I need most, which is weird, isn't it?)

Even with a cold I do try to work although as I have gotten older I can't seem to get the old body to cooperate so well.


This is exactly it. I used to take Dayquil so I could breathe, and just power right on through. I'm less able to do that these days.

Cassondra said...

Anna Sugden said:

I'm a 'take the biggest, baddest drug to kill the darn thing' kind of person. I hate being ill, so want it over and done with. None of this 'my body is a temple' business - blast the bugs!


OH, HIGH FIVE ANNA! Yes, this is what I say..kick it in its germy little tush! If you can't kill it, you can sure as heck make it sit down and shut up!!!

Cassondra said...

Dianna Love said:

I suck at nursing (which might be why he stays healthy all the time - fear of me taking care of him).

Snork. Okay I nearly spewed coffee. Snork.


My mom (who had 5 kids in the house) would clean everything from top to bottom when a bug struck our household. Now, we wash sheets, change toothbrushes - try to kill any germs. I find those new Airborne tablets are good, too.


I think this is a brilliant idea--the cleaning. In fact, I was going to make my blog about that until I came down with this bug and couldn't think about much else. And I'm taking the Airborne too, thanks to you. I don't know how it's gonna do making the cold go away faster, but I can tell it's not nearly as bad as normal, and I've been healthy most of the year since I started taking it.

Cassondra said...

Christie said:

I do love ginger ale when I'm sick and the tissues with lotion are a must! And hot tea with honey. I usually lose my taste for food but I love chicken soup.

Hey, another vote for the lotion tissues! I didn't realize they were quite this popular.

Sherbet and 7up or ginger ale is what Steve always wants when he's sick too.

As to the Olive Leaf, I have not heard of that. I will have to look into it.

jo robertson said...

Cassondra, hilarious post! I've already ruined my monitor from spewing unacceptable beverages on it!

I think I'm a good sick patient. My mantra? Just leave me the heck alone. All I need is pain meds, pepsi, ice, water and -- the most important thing -- the remote control. I'll soothe myself to sleep with the above and when I wake I'll be better. So I tell myself.

Dr. Big, OTOH, is a terrible patient, probaby because he's never sick and probably because when he is I hover. Maybe I should just leave him alone.

Cassondra said...

Marnee said:

I have to be pretty sick to be tucked into bed. I need to be in the middle of everything all the time. It's really sad. I'm all nosy that way.

Marnee, I used to be just this way. Something's happened to me as I've gotten older though. Maybe it's my body demanding I stop and pay attention. Heck, maybe it's that I want an excuse to just read for a day or so. Anyway, I don't do the "medicate and get through it" nearly as well as I used to. Though I have to do that today, I'm afraid. At some point I must go out and shop for a mattress. That's right. I said a mattress.

Last night, mid-pampering, my very old water mattress sprung its final leak. I have to drain it (in the snow) and go find something else to sleep on. Bleh.

So I will be one with Dayquil today.

Anna Sugden said...

Cassondra - if you can't breathe - look for those squirt up the nose meds that have xylometazaline in them - the brand name over here is Otrivine, but I know they have it in the States under another name. It works and fast!

Deb said...

I have to agree that Nyquil doesn't seem to work as well as it used to and it still tastes NASTY.
But, oh! I forgot about Vicks. Rub that on your chest and heat up a corn bag--ah! (Okay, I'm from Iowa, and my dad's a farmer, so my mom has made bags by filling them with corn. I pop them into the microwave and the warmth and smell can be comforting. Some people do it with rice, too.)

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

If I'm really sick, high fever, achy, etc. (though I would throw in the towel way long before Steve does), I take Advil, drink water, and retreat to the bed to sulk. The dh is more than willing to fix tea and soup, but he thinks two or three minutes for tea to steep is plenty. I like it to go longer, especially with herbal teas, which smell great but taste like hot water unless they steep for a long time.

Amen, Nancy! I notice that we are soul sisters in the "retreat to the bed" part. And I agree wholeheartedly that being too sick to read just sucks--or blows, in my instance. But I am NOT there yet this time. And do not plan to be.

I just took a dose of Advil Cold & Sinus to see if it will unstop my head. I would feel measurably better if my head would unstop.

And yes, herbal tea is wussy if it does not steep for long enough. Especially when you have a cold and can't taste or smell anyhow. It needs to pack some punch!

Cassondra said...

Deb said:

If my husband is home, he's fairly good about taking care of me. But, we moms never really get to rest because there is always something to do.

That's just it, isn't it?

I'm not a mom, but it's times like this that I wonder how y'all do it. Every now and then one of the Bandita's little kids brings home a bug to the house and it runs through the whole family and I know Susan or Christine or Christie is a) sick and b) nursing the family who is also sick.

But what can you do? If you are conscious, you drag your butt out of bed and do what needs to be done, right? I lift my cup of hot tea to you.

Cassondra said...

Trish said:

What is it with men and their absolute stubbornness to take care of themselves? The dh will NOT go to a doctor unless he has literally heaved up a lung -- which I've wondered if he might do a few times lately.

I dunno...what IS that? I agree that sleeping helps me get well quicker. Rest, in general, is the ticket, I think, to getting over it and back to yourself more quickly.

And hey, that is an AWESOME new headshot you have there! I had not sen that. It absolutely rocks!

Cassondra said...

MsHellion said:

I'm not sick too often. I usually sandbag myself, but I am my own cavalry. (I'm very single.) I'm a huge fan of Nyquil and lots of sleeping. If I can't sleep, I wrap up on the couch, turn on the TODAY show, and stare at it in a stupor. But most of the time, I can sleep. Let's be real.

And I love lots of pulp in my OJ too! *LOL*


Ha! Another fan of sandbagging. And of high-pulp OJ. I have to admit that when I'm sick is one of the few times I would like to have tv. We don't have it in the bedroom though--not even for movies. So it's eithe read, surf the web looking at mindless drivel, or sleep for me.

Cassondra said...

Virginia said:

I don't get sick that often but when I do I still have to keep everything done myself, I can't go to bed. I have to keep going. Its just another day for me. One thing is for sure my hubby want take care of me. I just do the asprin thing and eat soup.

OH, Virginia! You poor thing! He won't even make chicken noodle soup for you? I am aghast. But it's the reality isn't it? I know I got lucky with a guy who will take care of me when I'm sick. I'm with you on not getting sick much, and I'm glad.

Cassondra said...

a.k.a. Drew said:

grilled cheese sandwiches and lots of hot tea.
I don't find OTC meds all that effective, though I find Nyquil is good for an instant nap. You could mix drinks with that stuff.
I am a cocooning sickie, I hunker down in my bedroom, I can tend to whine if I feel I am not getting enough sympathy as well.


Whoa! Grilled Cheese! Now THAT sounds like a sick girl's meal righ there! Oh Yum! Okay now I know what I'm wanting....dangit. And thank you for admiting you whine for sympathy. (grin) At least I'm not the only one.

Cassondra said...

Jo Robertson said:

Dr. Big, OTOH, is a terrible patient, probaby because he's never sick and probably because when he is I hover. Maybe I should just leave him alone.

Joe, I believe you are our first honest-to-goodness "Leave-me-alone" Sickie of the day. Or at least that I've noticed in my drugged state.

And I have a theory. I think men are often terrible patients because they want attention. I could be wrong though...it could be that they don't like being in the position of being needy...hmmm...I dunno. I will not be practicing human psychology in my pseudoephedrine-impaired state.

Cassondra said...

Anna Sugden said:

Cassondra - if you can't breathe - look for those squirt up the nose meds that have xylometazaline in them - the brand name over here is Otrivine, but I know they have it in the States under another name. It works and fast!

I bet it's Afrin here. I don't know that, but it's an educated guess. I know Afrin is a nose spray that works magic because when I studied to be a Public Safety Diver we were warned against using it before we dive. I don't know the main drug in it though, and I'm too lazy to Google it..you know...since I'm...(sniff)sick and all....

Cassondra said...

Deb said:

But, oh! I forgot about Vicks. Rub that on your chest and heat up a corn bag--ah! (Okay, I'm from Iowa, and my dad's a farmer, so my mom has made bags by filling them with corn. I pop them into the microwave and the warmth and smell can be comforting. Some people do it with rice, too.)

I do rub vicks on my chest if a cold drops into my chest, but so far it's just in my head (knock on something wood really quick). No coughing. And we had one of those rice bags once. I didn't know you could do it with corn. I just never thought about it. It WAS comforting!

Cassondra said...

a.k.a. Drew said:

Deb, Cherry flavored Nyquil is not too bad, LOL! Mixed with Coke...
Wow, I haven't used Vicks since I was a kid, I didn't know it was still on the market!


Oh, yeah. Vicks is the shizzle. About five years ago I had some kind of head thing that would not die. I hesitate to call it a cold because it just Would. Not. Go. Away. I had it for about 8 weeks straight. MOstly just a stopped up head and couldn't breathe, especially at night. Even with Nyquil. No sign of actual infection, just a massive overload of sinus-produced goo. So I bought one of those Vicks Vaporizer things, and AHHHHHH what wonderful relief. They only charge about $10 for the machine. But watch out for your wallet when you go to buy the medicine to mix in the water. HOOOOWEEEEE NELLIE, they get you right there. And it takes a bunch. Doesn't last long.

Works though.

Kate Carlisle said...

Awwwwwww, you poor sickie!!

Big hugs on the cold, Cassondra, and I hope my book did its little part to help get you through it. (You're so sweet!) :-)

When I'm sick, my DH is right there for me. He makes me rice, and pours juice, and fluffs up my pillow, and brings me drugs and is willing to do whatever it takes to make me feel better.

When he's sick, it's like nobody has ever been so sick before in history. His head hurts worse than any pain known to man. It's so weird! But I have a theory. I think it's because he's rarely ill and never gets headaches. So when he does get a headache, it's completely foreign to him. He wonders where this awful pain is coming from and worries that it could be bubonic plague or something. It's just a headache!! LOL

Feel better, my friend!!!!!

Hey, congrats on snagging the bird, Pink! ;-)

Anna Sugden said...

I knew it began with an 'A', Cassondra - Afrin is it!

Janga said...

A head cold ranks high on the misery scale. I hope you feel better soon.

Denial is my first choice. When symptoms force me to abandon the state of denial, I prefer a modicum of pampering and then to be left alone with my books, my DVDs, and my self-pity. I do need chicken soup and ginger ale. They were my mother's prescription when we were sick as children, and having them is like her fingers brushing across my forehead.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Sigh...Cassondra I feel your pain. Been fighting this crap for almost 2 weeks.

Runny nose to the point that I was sure NIagra Falls had been teleported into my sinuses!! EWWW GROSS! Check.

Stopped up ears. Hubby tends to mumble, so I spent two days going, "huh?" To which he replied, "Are you going deaf?" To which I replied, "What? I can't hear you or anything else." To which he apologized and talked louder. Check.

Cough. The barking-lik-I-smoked-3-packs-a-day-for-years kind. (But never smoked a day.) With crap involved. Check.

Wheezing. Yes, I have a bronchus tree that reacts to every thing by swelling. Check.

Lungs...CLEAR!! Hallelujah and amen! (Had penumonia five times in my nursing carreer!)

Voice. Completely gone from Friday to Sunday. Yesterday my hubby, the kind supportive guy that he is, said, "You sound like Beaker from the muppet show." Sigh. About half better today.

So...what kind of sicky am I? A grumbler. I prefer to hole up on my couch with an afghan, a book, fluids, the controller to the TV and a box of tissues. Hubby hands me a big glass of green tea with collodial silver in it and a Vitamin D pill twice a day. I take robitussin during the day, Ibuporphin 800mg, (which, by the way the dosage is every 8 hours) and whatever antihistamines the doc prescribes.

The best stuff in the whole world is Tussinex cough syrup. One teaspoon at bedtime and I am out for 8 solid hours!! It has Hydrocodone in it and I am a cheap date!!! But I don't cough and feel a bit more rested once it's out of my system for the day. If you don't have any, have your hubby call the doc and get some!!!! Seriously.

Favorite cravings when I'm sick? Oranges. I will eat two big navel oranges or more a day. Progresso Chicken Noodle soup and anything salty!!

Feel better soon.

Cassondra said...

Kate said:


Big hugs on the cold, Cassondra, and I hope my book did its little part to help get you through it. (You're so sweet!) :-)



THAT BOOK IS FREAKING FANTASTIC!!!!

I almost picked it up again to read a second time last night, but I didn't. I read something else.


And isn't that funny...he nurses you through your illness, but doesn't know how to deal with his own.

Men are such strange creatures aren't they? Most of the time it's in a good way, of course (looks around to see if the Gladiators are listening)

p226 said...

I hope I don't jinx myself, but it's been a while since I've been waylaid with the flu. I've found that if I'm generally good about working out and eating right, I just don't get sick. But if I get lazy, or as my son calls it "racka disciprine" in the manner of our karate master, well, I get sick a lot more often. As an aside, it sucks to be told by a 13 year old that you "racka disciprine."

Anyway, when I do get sick, I turn into the whiniest little wimp you can imagine. I lay on the couch, and whine. My wife takes pretty good care of me, though, with an air of disdain for my whinyness. "My troat huuuurrrrrrrrrrts."

"Did you take advil."

"I bogot."

Off she goes to get me advil. When she returns, just in case she forgot, I'll reminder. "*sniffle* My troat hurrrrrrts."

"Take this. *grumble*"

Though, when it comes to Things that Need Done, I still do them. And I catch some flack for it.

"Where are you going?"

"Dey neeb me at teh obbice."

"It can wait."

"No, stubb is brokeb. I habba fix it."

Now my wife on the other hand. She just goes like she's not sick. I do what I can to help, but, well, she's not real interested in my help. She will do whatever needs done according to her perception, and then she'll bunker up with a blanket on the couch and not move.

Cassondra said...

Janga said:

Denial is my first choice. When symptoms force me to abandon the state of denial, I prefer a modicum of pampering and then to be left alone with my books, my DVDs, and my self-pity. I do need chicken soup and ginger ale. They were my mother's prescription when we were sick as children, and having them is like her fingers brushing across my forehead.

Janga, I think you may have hit upon something. Do you suppose the whole stubborn man thing is an advanced state of denial?

And as to the remedies...isn't that just the absolute truth--when we're sick, we want what our moms did for us. There is no comfort like that. And what a lovely metaphor--having those things feels like her actual touch to you.

Okay..now I'm sniffing for a different reason.

Cassondra said...

Suz said:

So...what kind of sicky am I? A grumbler. I prefer to hole up on my couch with an afghan, a book, fluids, the controller to the TV and a box of tissues. Hubby hands me a big glass of green tea with collodial silver in it and a Vitamin D pill twice a day. I take robitussin during the day, Ibuporphin 800mg, (which, by the way the dosage is every 8 hours) and whatever antihistamines the doc prescribes.


Oooh, yeah. That sounds like a perfect sickie cocktail. My Ibuprofen is not nearly that strong. We do the 800 mg dosage only if one of us is near death.

I'm sorry you've been sick too. They just linger and linger, don't they?

Pat Cochran said...

Sorry that you are ill, hope the bug leaves you soon! Honey is the hibernating bear among all the blankets when he is ill. I call the doctor for a strong antibiotic because I usually want to get each & every little bug out of my way
as soon as possible! Also because
any cold that comes my way goes into bronchitis so fast my head spins! We both go the chicken soup/crackers/OJ/jello/water/
ginger ale/treated tissues route
immediately in hopes of getting
clear as soon as possible!

Pat Cochran

Cassondra said...

p226 said:

Now my wife on the other hand. She just goes like she's not sick. I do what I can to help, but, well, she's not real interested in my help. She will do whatever needs done according to her perception, and then she'll bunker up with a blanket on the couch and not move.

I think it's so interesting how we each handle being sick so differently. But your whole "Must go to the office" attitude reminds me of Steve. He doesn't whine much though. In fact, I don't usually know he's getting sick. I find out about it only when the temp peaks above what the thermometer can actually read. I'm like What the heck? And he's like "told you I had a headache."

*sigh*

"I bogot"... SNORK

You and him both.

Cassondra said...

Pat Cochran said:

...Also because
any cold that comes my way goes into bronchitis so fast my head spins! We both go the chicken soup/crackers/OJ/jello/water/
ginger ale/treated tissues route
immediately in hopes of getting
clear as soon as possible!


Oh, don't you HATE THAT??? Steve is like that. If he gets a bug, it turns into every ailment known to man, and a few which are not known. He's the one to end up on a bunch of antibiotics when he gets something. It's better though, when he's working out (as P226 mentioned) and taking Airborne. He doesn't tend to have it develop into worse stuff.

Bronchitis bits.

Cassondra said...

Bites. Bronchitis Bites.

*sigh*

Need more drugs now....

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Jen, way to go on the rooster. And if he starts to sniffle, chuck him out of the hosue!

Cassondra, what a gorgeous post. I laughed at Steve's antics. It's strange - most of the men I know fall into the two groups. The "oh, I blew my nose this morning, clearly I'm dying" or the "nothing's going to get me lying down, virus!"

Hey, hope the new Anna Campbell is making you feel much better! Kate's book's winging its way from the Book Depository - can't wait to read it!

Anna Campbell said...

Oh, and I'm a batten down the hatches, keep everybody away, go to bed and groan until I'm better kinda gal. Wander around like the dying swan until I feel better!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

p226 said"Dey neeb me at teh obbice."...

Sigh. Wish I could do this. I hate using PTO for sick time.

Unfortunately, I work in a field where if you come in sick, you're gonna pass it around, and patients don't like their nurse sounding like she's hacking up a lung. Then the rest of the staff gets it, no matter how well you wash your hands, clean the phone and clean the computers...and there you have how I came down with this....AGAIN!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Seriously, Cassondra, have Steve get the doc to give you a RX for Tussionex cough syrup . It doesn't taste too bad and you will sleep sooooooooooooo much better!

Nikki said...

Hope you get to feeling better!

I'm a stay-at-home mom now and I've learned that toddlers could care less if you're sick, so I pretty much drag myself out of bed and set up residency on the couch and entertain my son with tivoed episodes of his favorite shows.

And being sick brings all my British genes to the forefront. I want tea. Lots of it. Irish breakfast. Earl Grey. Maybe a lil green with echinacea (that stuff really works!)

Pajamas that are comfortable enough to live in for several days if necessary and a stack of good reads if the headache allows are always good. And nothing beats a lllloooonnnggg hot bath to cure what ills you!

While I'm the baby-everybody-when-they're-sick kind of girl, my hubby is more of the "rub-some-dirt-on-it" kind of guy. But every so often my Mr Toughguy will surprise me with my favorite foods or do something sweet and it makes me feel all that much better!

And Anna Campbell's latest is an EXCELLENT choice....no one can torture a historical hottie like she can. :)
Feel better!

Cassondra said...

Anna Campbell said:

It's strange - most of the men I know fall into the two groups. The "oh, I blew my nose this morning, clearly I'm dying" or the "nothing's going to get me lying down, virus!"



That's IT! Never heard it put so succinctly.

Cassondra said...

Anna C said:

Oh, and I'm a batten down the hatches, keep everybody away, go to bed and groan until I'm better kinda gal. Wander around like the dying swan until I feel better!

Okay you and Jo have fallen into the "leave me alone I'm sick" camps. Along with P226's wife perhaps...

Interesting that most of us are in the "Wah help me I'm sick" camp.

Cassondra said...

Suz said:

Unfortunately, I work in a field where if you come in sick, you're gonna pass it around, and patients don't like their nurse sounding like she's hacking up a lung. Then the rest of the staff gets it, no matter how well you wash your hands, clean the phone and clean the computers...and there you have how I came down with this....AGAIN!

Steve does too actually, except he can wear a mask. He's not with patients all day though. Invariably when we get sick, it's because he's had a week of pediatrics. We don't have kids, so we don't build up the immunities to all the stuff kids get in school. So if a kid coughs on Steve, we've got it.

He is now, though, the ONLY person in his facility who can do his job. *sigh* So although he does do that "little old lady is coming across hot lava fields and through shark infested waters" (yes, he really does do a version of that and means it) he's honest in that if he's not there, they have to shut down his department. So he's masks and gloves and let's go.

Cassondra said...

Suz said:

Seriously, Cassondra, have Steve get the doc to give you a RX for Tussionex cough syrup . It doesn't taste too bad and you will sleep sooooooooooooo much better!

I admit, this is one of those times when I'm so tempted to call in that possibility. OR to call my PA buddy and say, "write me a scrip Wah."

Cassondra said...

Nikki said:

While I'm the baby-everybody-when-they're-sick kind of girl, my hubby is more of the "rub-some-dirt-on-it" kind of guy. But every so often my Mr Toughguy will surprise me with my favorite foods or do something sweet and it makes me feel all that much better!


OMFG. Okay that was my first monitor spewage of the day and I so needed it. "Rub some dirt on it" indeed.

Nice that he comes around to take care of you sometimes though. I think they figure out that when mom, who takes care of everybody, is sitting or lying still, something's actually wrong. ;0)

Cassondra said...

Oh and hey...if I thought it would make this cold go away, I would absolutely rub some dirt on it.

Cassondra said...

OKay y'all, I have to actually get out among the living and pay the sanitation bill so they will take my trash tomorrow.

I'll be back in a little bit.

Keep the party rollin...and make sure Sven has plenty of Cough Syrup to substitute for the Margaritas, will ya?

Anna Campbell said...

Nikki, had to laugh at the dirt thing. And the read a tortured historical hottie and take two aspirin and go to bed remedy. Works for me! However sick you are, you can't possibly be suffering as much as my poor characters ;-) Thanks for the mention!

Cassondra, definitely in the leave me alone, I'm sick category.

gigi said...

Cassondra,
So sorry you to hear you have a bad colb.
I know I hate getting sick.
Usually I do what I can when I get sick unless it is the flu then that puts me in the bed for days.

Like you I love orange juice no concentrate for me I want the real stuff.
I also live off tomato and chicken noodle soup with lots of saltine crackers.
You know you might be on to something when I get really sick my DH really snaps to attention and any wish is taken care of.
I like Puffs tissue with lotion for a sore nose.
And those little Vick's inhalers are great. I don't know what they do but they make me feel like I might be getting better.

I hope you get feeling better soon.

Beth Andrews said...

Hugs on the cold, Cassondra. Hope you feel better soon!

I'm all about cold meds, coffee and peanut butter toast when I'm sick *g*

And I don't need pampering - just a comfy sofa, a blanket and a pile of books :-)

Jane said...

Feel better soon, Cassondra. I lose all motivation when I'm sick. I just want to stay bed. I like the strong cold medications that knock you out.

limecello said...

Awe... poor Cassondra. I hope you're feeling better! I'm... hm. I hate being sick. Sadly, my immune system (or lack of one) doesn't care.
So I like to think I'm a high functioning sickie. But every few years a giant bug comes and lays me low. No eating for a few days, high fever, cannot move... then I get treated nicely.
Otherwise... it's the same as always.

Also - I just bought If Books Could Kill! Cannot wait until I have time to start reading it :D

Kate Carlisle said...

Oooohhh THANKS, C! I'm so glad you liked book two!! :-)

Poor Suz! I hope your voice comes back soon. And I'm writing down that cough syrup you recommended.

Nikki's right, that Anna Campbell has a knack for torture! ;-)

By the way ... all this talk is making my throat hurt. Just sayin'.

Kate Carlisle said...

Wow, thanks so much, Lime! Hope you like the book. :-)

Cassondra said...

I'm back!

Gigi said:

You know you might be on to something when I get really sick my DH really snaps to attention and any wish is taken care of.
I like Puffs tissue with lotion for a sore nose.
And those little Vick's inhalers are great. I don't know what they do but they make me feel like I might be getting better.


Kudos to him for pampering you. Interesting isn't it, that some of them do this.

Oh..and I've never seen the Vick's inhalers. I might have to look for one of those. I'm knocking on wood though, hoping this will not drop into my chest. I could really do without the coughing.

Cassondra said...

Beth said:

I'm all about cold meds, coffee and peanut butter toast when I'm sick *g*



Yummm...Peanut Butter.

That's another thing. When I get a cold I tend to eat. And eat. AND eat.

Y'all are makin' me hungry.

Cassondra said...

Jane said:

I lose all motivation when I'm sick. I just want to stay bed. I like the strong cold medications that knock you out.

Me too on the motivation thing. Don't wanna.

And I LOVE those meds that open up your head and knock you out. I honestly think the best thing for it is to sleep, but I can't always do that certainly, and I guess neither canmost people who have kids or jobs.

Cassondra said...

lime said:

So I like to think I'm a high functioning sickie. But every few years a giant bug comes and lays me low.

I like that...High-functioning sickie. That's a good way to be. If you have to be sick, best to be able to keep going. I could do this much better when I was younger.

And I haven't had one of those "lays me low" bugs for a long, long time. It can stay away too. At least, the kind where you can't eat and can't stay out of the bathroom. Blech.

Makes my little head cold seem mild.

Cassondra said...

Lime said:

Also - I just bought If Books Could Kill! Cannot wait until I have time to start reading it :D

Oh, you will LOVE it. Every bit as good as Homicide In Hardcover and Derek Stone just keeps getting hotter and hotter...oh and Gabriel...well..I'm not telling.

Nancy said...

Donna, I know what you mean about the old nose stuff. New Advil C&S is not nearly as good as old. On the upside, though, it's probably not as useful for the making of crystal meth.

Nancy said...

Cassondra and Kate, re: Kate's book--

I just returned from our local independent, where they were supposed to call me when the book came in because they were supposed to hold me a copy. They forgot the call and hold part, so I drove by there tonight and got the LAST COPY! They ordered five, forgot to pull one for me, and I took the LAST COPY off the shelf!

I'm so thrilled for you, Kate. I hope it's selling that way everywhere.

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:
New Advil C&S is not nearly as good as old. On the upside, though, it's probably not as useful for the making of crystal meth.

Nancy, I got it from behind the counter at the pharmacy. I had to sign and give them the names of my firstborn (though as yet unconceived)child to get it. It has pseudoephedrine in it.
That's the stuff that works. But you can't get pseudoephedrine without signing now.

Cassondra said...

I took a picture of it on the shelves at the B&N here. I slid somebody else over and down a shelf and turned the new one face out. They had only three If Books Could Kill left after I bought mine. But they also had gotten in three more Homicide In Hardcover too. Anticipating buying of the backlist, I suspect.

Joan said...

Sorry you're sick C!!!!

I'd take care of you..if there weren't 7 inches of snow blocking my driveway...

Like p226 I don't want to jinx myself (though since being out in said driveway in my scrubs...no WIND protection there..shoveling out two tracks my throat is scratch)but I haven't had the flu in a long while.

I tend to drink cold things and wave the hanky and say Alleluia to the Tussinex!!!! Cause when I get "that cough" it goes on forever!

Suz said: Runny nose to the point that I was sure NIagra Falls had been teleported into my sinuses

Ok, I was watching Paula Deen on TV the other night. Had the sound off but watched as she cracked a couple of eggs into this huge mug shaped like a man's face. It evidently was a gadget for seperating eggs cause she tipped it up and the whites came running OUT of it's nose!!!

Arghhhh

Cassondra said...

Joanie said:

Like p226 I don't want to jinx myself (though since being out in said driveway in my scrubs...no WIND protection there..shoveling out two tracks my throat is scratch)but I haven't had the flu in a long while.


I have actually never had the flu. I am really glad and grateful for that. I don't want it. This is just a cold. But like I said, I'm a lousy sick person. I would almost rather have a stomach bug and throw up I think, than have a cold because the symptoms take forever and hang on so long.

Not that I want either..

Just sayin.

Joanie that egg separator sounds disgusting. I used to have a cream pitcher shaped like a cow, but every time you poured cream out of it, it looked like the cow was throwing up. So I pitched it.

I just had to say, "What were they thinking?"

Yuck.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

EWWWWWWWW Joanie, even on a bad day that's a terrible idea for an egg seperator!!

Louisa Cornell said...

Hey, Pink! You caught the bird! We're fairly certain he has had his bird flu shots.

Cassondra, bless your heart. Habbing a Colb is NO FUN!! Feel better soon, sweetie!

I am the stubborn, keep going to work until I am almost dead type. The last time I actually stayed home sick was because the assistant over me MADE me go home. "You look like death. Take you a** to the doctor and then take your a** home." Turns out I had pneumonia. Hate it when that happens.

Now when I am sick I like to be left alone - that is no human contact. I will pile up in the bed with the dogs and the cats, a stack of DVD's, a stack of romance novels and my hot pot with a box of teabags and my favorite tea mug. I suck down chicken noodle soup and lots of cheap cold medicine until I'm better. My animals can always tell when I don't feel well. It is strange but if my chest or back hurts they tend to snuggle up to the place that hurts like furry heating pads. Best nurses on the planet and they work cheap.

Cassondra said...

Louisa said:

My animals can always tell when I don't feel well. It is strange but if my chest or back hurts they tend to snuggle up to the place that hurts like furry heating pads. Best nurses on the planet and they work cheap.

Mine do that too! Especially the cats. Amon, the female, will curl up and lie down right on top of whatever hurts. Of course when you have a head cold, a long-haired cat lying on your face is NOT as helpful....but still.


And add one to the score of "leave me alone when I'm sick" side! There are more of y'all than I thought, actually. I expected the "take care of me" side to be way ahead.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Cassondra! I too hab a colb. So sorry you're feeling the bug as well. Bleeeech! Hate the tissue. Bleeeeech! Tired of hydrating.

Want coffee. *pout* Wanna go play in the snow. *pout*

(Yes, I do indeed make a terribly, pouty patient. Bleeeech!)

Good thing I'm rarely sick because I think my whole household would smother me in my sleep if it went on too long.

My DH on the other hand is a crawl-into-bed-don't-speak-to-me sick feller. He'll do the meds and put on sweats and covers and sleep. For a miracle, he usually emerges 10 hours later feeling like new.

Wish that worked for me. Sigh.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Oh, you can put me on the "take care of me!" side of the ledger, Cassondra. I don't always get it - though the Testosterone Team gives it the old college try! - but I wan' it.

Cassondra said...

Jeanne said:

Oh, you can put me on the "take care of me!" side of the ledger, Cassondra. I don't always get it - though the Testosterone Team gives it the old college try! - but I wan' it.

OH, good. It would just not be right if the evil twin thing divided at this point, ya know?


And at least your guys try. :0) That's nice.

Cassondra said...

Oh, and sorry you're sick too Jeanne. You've had that for a while now haven't you?

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Got rid of it, then one of my delightful children brought home a new strain....urg.

Off to get the big glass of OJ and go to the bed...

Kate Carlisle said...

Wow, Nancy, I'm so glad you got the book!

As far as sales go ... from your lips!!

Kate Carlisle said...

Cassondra said ... I took a picture of it on the shelves at the B&N here. I slid somebody else over and down a shelf and turned the new one face out.


Hee hee hee! Thanks, buddy!! I love you guys. :-)

Cassondra said...

I am heading to bed I think.

Cuz..yaknow..I hab a colb.

Thanks everybody for coming to play and cheer me up, and for the get-well wishes.

Y'all stay healthy for the rest of the season!

limecello said...

lol you're all taunting me! I'm half sick [or maybe I'm just always sick so I can't even tell anymore O_o]
But I have no time to read! Must... find out about Derek and Gabriel... gah!
Well, at least I own it :P And that's like half the battle, yeah?