The Common Cold

I enjoy being sick about as much as you do. The common cold is the absolute worst. There is nothing common about the common cold, either. Every cold is different from one person to the next, and from each cold within one person. The common cold generally affects me for about 4 days. Day one is a sore throat, Day 2 is a day where symptoms seemingly disappear, Day 3 is when I am shushed out of the office from sniffling, snorting, & sneezing, Day 4 is the drying out day, and Day 5 - generally - is the day that all is well again. So, how do I handle my cold? As if you'd like to know...

Step 1 (months and weeks leading up to the cold): People say that the only thing in life that are guaranteed are death and taxes...I would argue that the common cold should be added to the application for those accepting to live on Earth. We all know that the cold is coming, so how do we get ready for it? I like to always keep the cold in the back of my mind...expecting it. Exercising often really works, especially if it's cardio type stuff. I like to keep my energy balanced (think input {food and calories} + output {exercise and calories burned}). that way I don't have enough energy to fuel a cold, but my body isn't weak enough to welcome one right it. Also, I like to eat lots of fiber and protein. Beans and fruits have vitamin C, which many suggest combat the cold.

Step 2 (The sore throat begins): Sometimes, an oral analgesic can help to soothe or flat out eliminate the cold. Always read the directions on medication, though! I like to get the grape flavored and spray down my neck as directed. Generally, it is useless at anything other than eliminating the annoying scratchy throat for about 30 seconds. For my body, I get the best results by eating whatever I want beginning with the onset of the sore throat. I'll continue this trend until the cold passes. Also - hot coffee early in the morning and nice hot showers are also conventional fixes for MY cold.

Step 3 (The calm before the storm): I know it's coming. I continue to eat and drink hot "dranks". Also, I'll try and steer clear of salty items, since they tend to dehydrate me.

Step 4 (Disgusting symptoms): It's here and there's nothing I can do. I try to get plenty of sleep without taking any medication. Medication is for when it gets really bad. A runny nose and a 2 hourly cough are not bad. I try to eat foods that taste bad, since I really can't taste anything at all. Canned tuna is something I eat daily. I hate it sooo much. Nevertheless, I get to "enjoy" it with a cold. I'll also drink about 2 gallons of water throughout the day, along with lots of yogurt and fruit. At the end of the day, I go to sleep early and try to sleep later the next day. I still try to get plenty of exercise throughout the day, too. And chewing lots of gum also keeps the nose clear, too!

Step 5 (Getting Better): After a good night's rest, generally I can wake up fairly symptom free. I might sneeze a bit or have a light cough, but I'm relatively unstuffed. Traditionally, I'll pull a muscle in my neck when I reach around to pat myself on the back for getting over the cold so rapidly. Other than that, I can return to hating tuna.

Step 6 (Getting ready for the next cold): See Step 1.

Tomorrow should be a clearing up day. A lot of it depends on the weather, though. Dry days allow you to get well quicker. It's supposed to dry out around here on Saturday. Still, the tropical conditions that were supposed to persist have for the most part, stayed away from our soundfront locale. We have had less than a .10 of an inch of rain, while neighbors as close as 30 miles away might have received 1.5 inches. But that's Momma Nature for you...

Enjoy the day...