Simply ordinary observations from an ordinary person - sometimes having to do with health care issues, sometimes not. Topics will change as my attention wanders. Yours probably will too....

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Coughin' the night away

Have you tried buying over-the-counter cold medicine lately? If not, here's a piece of advice. Pretend like you're going to the airport instead of the drug store and take your photo ID!

Because of really, really bad luck I've been sick for the past 10 days. I know it's 10, because I've been counting each one. In order to get through the Christmas celebrations, I needed heavy duty cold medication. So far I've consumed one bottle of cough syrup, one dose of Nyquil, one package of Sudafed, and one large package of throat lozenges. The coughy syrup was useless, the Nyquil turned me into a zombie with nightmares, and the Sudafed allowed me to breathe through Christmas dinner. I'm sucking on a throat lozenge right now.

But buying that stuff was not easy. I had to show ID each time and provide my signature. The Sudafed was the most complicated - I had to get that from the pharmacist and sign a ledger book like notary publics' use. Apparently I did not appear to be a meth-head because I was allowed to buy it. Whew!

Yesterday, out of sheer desperation and low oxygen levels, I purchased a "neti pot", upon recommendation by my wholistic health friend. The helpful sales clerk offered a demonstration but I declined. How hard can it be to pour water up your nose? Anyway, I will save you all the gross descriptions but I felt like I was undergoing self-induced waterboarding! I haven't been brave enough to try it again today and I don't see any huge improvement in my condition either.

I just turned down an invitation to go out for cocktails tonight. Now I really am feeling miserable.

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