Admittedly, I’ve been pretty cocky since I got my health back. My immune system is stellar, I’m pain free and back to normal, and well, I’m pretty much invincible. That’s what I tell people. It’s been an amazing adventure! In fact I actually brag about how I simply don’t get sick. After all, who has time for that? Especially me, since lately I’ve been averaging 3 – 5 hours of sleep a night for weeks, attempting to juggle a number of priorities at once that I just “had” to get accomplished.
And then my friend came to visit from Pennsylvania. You could say she was the straw that broke the camels’ back. She arrived on my doorstep Saturday March 17th. We hadn’t seen each other in years! Lots of catching up to do. Of course as we shared what we’d been up to since we last saw each other, I had to tell her my story of healing and getting a new lease on life.
“…and, I have been surrounded by sick people here and there for months and I just don’t get sick!” I proudly exclaimed. I’m strong! My immune system is rock solid! I’m invincible!”
So that night we went to a jazz club for dinnner, then out to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day. Nothing too extreme, unless you consider a ferris wheel ride in 40 degree weather extreme? Anyway, it was a great evening. We were back to my place at a respectable hour. Can’t for the life of me figure out what went so horribly wrong after that?
8 AM Sunday March 18th
Woke up feeling a little “off” and a little tired. No wonder, since I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for weeks now. I ignore the feelings and push ahead with my day, get ready to go out for breakfast with my friend.
11 AM Sunday March 18th
Starting to get a scratchy throat and it’s uncomfortable to swallow. Within an hour I begin experiencing occasional coughs, coming from deep in my chest. I’m really tired. But we’ve got a bit of shopping to do, so I press on, even though my symptoms are growing through the afternoon.
4 PM Sunday March 18th
I’m whipped. I’m exhausted. I suck on a throat drop and take a nap, as does my friend.
6 PM Sunday March 18th
We’re up and heading to the neighbors for dinner. Sensing that I may be headed for trouble, I make a flu-bomb cap, pop another throat drop and try to suppress my cough as best I can. I visualize being healthy. “I am not getting sick. I am not getting sick.”
7:30 Sunday March 18th
Back home and incredibly tired. This cough is deep and getting somewhat uncontrollable. I’m starting to feel warm, like a fever is coming on. I make a cup of flu bomb tea with a shot of Jameson, a table spoon of honey with a drop of clove, and fall asleep on the couch while my friend reads.
10:30 PM Sunday March 18th
Waking up I feel miserable. Yup, I’m sick. Between the eyes awful. Hot, feverish, sore throat and coughing. Stuffed up. Achy all over. Death warmed over. It got me. I make a batch of my special chicken soup and have a bowl. I make a cup of flu bomb tea with a shot of Jameson and do a tablespoon of honey with a drop of clove. I smear Breathe across my chest and neck and crash on the couch. My friend goes to bed.
3 AM Monday March 19th
Wake up coughing again. Oh my throat hurts! I’m hot and feverish and ache all over. I drink 16 oz of lemon water and have a bowl of chicken soup. I smear some Breathe on my chest and neck, make a flu bomb cap, take that with another tablespoon of honey and clove, and call in sick. I go up to bed.
8 AM Monday March 19th
Wake up exhausted, bursting with congestion, fever and feeling dizzy. But my sore throat is virtually gone! I make a cup of flu bomb tea and go back to sleep.
1 PM Monday March 19th
Not sure what time my poor friend came downstairs –she doesn’t know what to do for me. I’m so tired and I hurt from head to toe! I have to blow my nose like mad—I think I used half a box of tissues in 30 minutes! I’m so stuffed up I can barely hear. Time for another bowl of chicken soup. I drink two 16 oz bottles of water and try to do something productive; put some dishes away. Oh my goodness that was too much—I went back to bed. My friend escapes to visit other friends. I’ve been left alone to die a slow agonizing death by crud.
4:30 PM Monday March 19th
I wake up with a little cough, but it’s not as rough or painful. I don’t feel nearly as bad as I had. Ha! I’m nipping this crud in the bud! I drink 16 oz of water, and have some more chicken soup. I smear some more Breathe on my chest and neck and decide to try to go to school, armed with throat drops and Kleenex.
6:15 PM Monday March 19th
Well I get to school and cough my brains out every time I move, even after applying more Breathe to my chest and neck. After one awful hour of coughing and blowing my nose I give up and go home. Point goes to crud.
7:30 PM Monday March 19th
Home and feeling completely drained. Ugh, just shoot me now. After drinking another 16 oz of lemon water I make another flu bomb cap, take more honey and clove, smear Breathe on my chest and neck, and it’s crawling back to bed.
2 AM Tuesday March 20th
I wake up burning up AND freezing! I’m dizzy and hot and cold at the same time! I am parched! I blow my nose and think I’m going to blast my brains out. I drink two 16 oz bottles of water with lemon. Clearly I’m in no condition to go back to work. I call in sick and go back to bed.
6:30 AM Tuesday March 20th
I wake up sluggish, achy, and pretty much wet from sweating, and I’m totally stuffed up. I blow my nose for an eternity, drink 16 oz of lemon water, have some chicken soup, do 1 tablespoon of honey with a drop of clove, and go back to bed.
11 AM Tuesday March 20th
I wake up noticing that I have no pain in my throat. Feel pretty good as I sit up, so I get up and try to pick up around the house for about 20 minutes. All of the sudden there’s a heavy crushing pain between my ears and in the back of my head, and running from my sinuses, down my glands to my neck—-then—-BOOM! My sinuses clear, my ears pop, and instantly the TV becomes too loud! Wow! I turn down the TV and feel like I’ve somehow won a round of this crud. Still have to blow my nose like mad, but it seems to be a more “productive” event. After making my egg bake for the week, I have a slice and crawl back to bed, exhausted.
4 PM Tuesday March 20th
OH my goodness I wake up breathing normal and my skin is not on fire. Still a little stuffed up, but my hearing is still much improved. I’m feeling so much better! Still tired, still have an occasional little cough, and some slight sniffles, but wow, so much better! My sinuses are clearing. I make some flu bomb tea, and go back to bed.
7:00 PM Tuesday March 20th
What? I feel great! I wake up feeling human again! Trying not to get my hopes up, but it would appear that I’ve knocked this crud out of me!
8 PM Tuesday March 20th
So now here I am, reporting in on my situation. I am still feeling rather drained, but I don’t have a fever, I’m not coughing, my sinuses have remained clear, and I’m just a tad congested—hardly at all. I’ll be going to bed pretty soon just to make sure I get enough rest. But truthfully I think I’ve kicked this crud to the curb in short order. Enduring 60 long hours is quite long enough!
Like I’ve said all along. I don’t have time to be sick. Especially for weeks on end like so many people get during cold and flu season. Life is too short! I may not be completely invincible, but I am one heck of a force to be reckoned with. I am grateful to have the knowledge and tools that will impact how I may respond to getting sick.
I’ve shared my complete timeline to demonstrate exactly what I did to shorten my down time.
Simply:
- Don’t go to work.
- Sleep. And Sleep. And Sleep.
- CHICKEN SOUP! Homemade chicken soup. Lots of it.
- Drink water. And water. And water. And tea, and water.
- Medicate. When I say medicate I absolutely mean using all natural means. No over-the-counter – synthetic – anything. Herbs, spices, and pure therapeutic grade essential oils are all I use. OH, and a little whiskey….it’s very medicinal you know…
Can’t wait to get back to work in the morning and give my friend the “all clear” to come back over and complete our visit! Off to make my flu bomb night cap! Cheers!
Thank you for reading my post. I’d love to hear your thoughts! All comments are greatly appreciated. Life is an adventure—good or bad, and it begins today! If you like what you see, please let me know by “liking” my website. You can even join my tribe to automatically receive new postings ‘hot off the press’. There’s a place to do that right on my home page. If you are interested in learning more about the amazing essential oils I used, please reach out for me! I would love nothing more than to help you achieve your healthiest self too! I also offer essential oil wellness workshops for formal and informal groups. As always, please feel free to share with others who may find meaning and value in exploring limitless possibilities with PR Brady AdVentures. Thanks again!
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