Last Train to Clarksville

Rudolph Isn’t The Only One With A Red Nose!

Well, the Cold and Flu season is definitely upon us here in Clarksville, TN! I cannot seem to get rid of this cold. It is contagious and going through our local schools, business’ and my whole family!

Here are some tips on how to take care of yourself and what to expect from this bad boy!

First, go to Sams and buy a case of tissues! That is exactly what you are going to need. I have gone through 2 boxes in two days. My nose is chapped and peeling from blowing it so much. So get some with aloe in it.

The way this cold that has gone through my work and now my family starts off is flu like symptoms. Your muscles ache and you just want to lay in bed all day. It literally kicked my butt! I was in bed for a day with cold chills and I did break a couple of fevers.

I started feeling better this second day because of no body aches and thinking that this flu was a 24 hour cycle. I had a really bad headache all day but it could have been from possible dehydration. I am not sure how much I drank while in bed all day. I can’t remember anything but the back of my eyelids and pain in all my joints. The evening of the 2nd day I started sneezing and my nose started running. I started thinking that maybe I caught another cold!

The 3rd day was a headache and a lot of sinus pressure. It felt like my head would be so much better if I could just pop it off! All day I had pressure and Tylenol seemed to help.

The 4th day the pressure was gone but a chest cough was settling around the base of my throat. The symptom was not a cough but lossing my voice and having to clear my throat a lot but you know how it feels when it is settling in your upper chest? You breath through your nose and it is such a sharp, clean type of air and it hurts to breath through the nose. That is how it felt. That night was a rough one with the dry coughing. I put vicks vapor rub on my upper chest, throat area and don’t laugh but I even tried it on the bottom of my feet. I heard on t.v. earlier in the day on The View that it actually works. So I was gonna try anything to help me sleep. It is crazy to even consider it but it works! I was able to go to sleep and not cough for about 3 hours. I woke up and put more on my feet and was able to sleep for another 3 hours without coughing.

The 5th day, the cough is worse. I lost my voice for about 4 hours and realized it is better to whisper than speak. The cough tries to work its way out and it’s more productive. A little of a headache and still having a nasal drip, which is probably what is causing me to cough now, is what I felt on my 6th day. I have been working out in the morning for about 45 minutes trying to sweat this out but afterward I feel worn out. Might not be a good idea to exercise while your sick or maybe it is. Today is the 7th dayand I have lost my voice, still have the cough and will probably go to the Doctor if I am not better by Monday.

It has been 3 years since I have been sick like this. I have never taken the flu shot, so those who do might be blessed in not getting this virus. My husband gets the flu shot every year and he got this virus that swept through our family. I also do not take medicine unless I absolutely have to. If I have to take a Tylenol, instead of the recommended dosage I take only 1. I always half dosages if I am giving myself medicine, my husband will make sure that I take the full dosage. I am kind of scared to take medicine due to a bad reaction years ago. So it would be better if I had a little of a reaction than a full blown one is my take on half the dosage. Not my husbands take. He just wants me to take the dose and shut up about being scared of a reaction, I will feel better. He is right.

I guess I am just rambling on, like someone wants to know about my administration of medicine, but just to give you some tid bits if you get this cold:

• Drink a lot of fluids
• Get some Vick Vapor Rub
• Have Tylenol on hand
• If you don’t mind taking medicine, take whatever you think you can to kick this out of your system.
• Rest, rest, rest
• Throw away any tissues you use, right away
• Disinfect your home as soon as you can
• Don’t go out while you have this, it will spread onto anything you touch

If you haven’t caught it, it is out there! So if you go to walmart, use hand gloves when pushing your buggy. Buy some hand sanitizer and use it before you put your hands near your face. Take care of yourself and stay healthy. I wouldn’t wish this cold on anyone! I caught it by using the phone at my office. Our secretary/receptionist left that day after showing signs of having cold chills and her family was all home sick. I took over the front and was touching everything she touched and WHAM I got it! So just be careful what you put near your face and what you touch.

Blessings~

Leave a Reply