Being Sick is NOT an Excuse!

So here is one of the “things” I learned. Back in September we had a week of what felt like freezing cold. It rain ALL day for a week straight and I got sick. Now when I get sick, 9 out of 10 times I end up with either a sinus infection or bronchitis instead of just a normal cold. Usually that’s no problem, but unfortunately, September 1st was they day that began my period of being uninsured.* So that sucked. Here’s how I kicked my symptoms without a prescription!

Liquids:
Orange Juice (force fed)
TheraFlu (or liquefied cough drop, ick)
Decaffinated Herbal Green Tea with Lemon (sometimes honey too, yum!)
ThroatCoat (so gross)
Drinking 50-64oz of plain old water (sometimes with EmergenC…also gross)

Drugs:
Mucinex D (the one you have to ask for at the pharmacy and sign your life away for)
IBprofen 200-400mg (and warm compresses for the headache)
OTC Tussin Tabs (for my cough because I hate cough syrup)
Luden’s Sugar Free Cherry Lozenges (because they are delicious as well as soothing)

Extras:
My Vicks Steamer
NediPot (twice a day)
Warm/Hot Compresses and Showers

Okay, so this all seems pretty basic to most people, but if you couldn’t tell by my parenthetical, I am a huge baby. I hate most common remedies that keep normal people from seeing a doctor. This insurance thing was a huge wake up call because it’s helping me change my habits. Before I would just succumb to the illness because I figured an infection was inevitable, and the easiest way was to just get the antibiotics and a case of yogurt and call it a day. NEWSFLASH MARAH, you can’t sing LES MISERABLES with a cold. You just can’t. So I developed my own little anti-cold routine.

Gargle with Salt Water.

If in AM, Mucinex, Allergy pill, Multivitamin with big glass of Orange Juice (NO PULP)

If in PM, IBprofen and Tussin pill with Water or EmergenCBoil hot water** to make TheraFlu and set up NetiPot

If before Bed, Hot Shower followed by Mucinex with Theraflu

Prep water for NediPot and while it cools, STEAM with Menthol pads

Use the NetiPot

Drink full glass of water with IBprofen

Rest with a hot moist towel on face

Pre-rehearsal I would nap for 20-40 minutes or if I could not fall asleep watch an episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix to relax.

Rehearsal bag was filled with Luden’s, Tussin Cough Suppressants, Tissues, Hand Sanitizer, Water bottles, and I always had a full travel mug with either Throat Coat or Herbal Tea.

Besides the cold medicines, I pretty much adopted all of these things into my daily routine. The only difference is that when I am feeling fine, I only Nedi/Steam once a day. That way I can just increase it when I feel off. What are some of your cold remedies?

*December 1st I have health insurance again! YAY!!!!

**I now only use warmed Distilled water to Neti because of an article I read.

***Photo Credit to somecards.com; memecreator.org; & hsmemes.com via Google Images.