Thankfully I've had a hacking cough to occupy me for the past couple of weeks. On day two the wheezing was getting worse and I felt like it was on the cusp of really settling in deep and turning nasty. The wet weather hadn't helped, so I took advantage of a subsequent minor heat wave and went for a run. In sweats. Uphill.
I make good choices.
I coughed a lot, breathed deep, and threw up a little bit. property values dropped.
I have no doubt the deep draws of dry air helped for sure, but this thing was far from beat.
My next line of defense, besides good sleep, was food. No sugar, and tons of chili and alliums. A few times I made a sauté of onions, garlic, chili, ginger, and lots of herbs. Eating this stuff can increase coughing but I was happy to get that fluid out of me and fast. Eating it out of a bowl is all good but it is dynamite in broth too.
If you can taste, that is...
I was pretty sure this most recent bout if sinus torture was the straw that broke the camel's back and I'd never be able to smell or taste again. I was a mess.
I did reach for severe sinus congestion mess a few times, but the post nasal drip cough was the worst and was harshing my mellow like crazy. Halls, you're worthless. From now and forever more I will treat any and every cough with Olba's pastilles. These things are legit. There's twice the menthol, and they've got other recognizable ingredients like wintergreen oil, juniper and chlorophyll.
They taste like something Heidi's grandpa would have given her while they were in their footstool-for-table phase, but that cough is outta here. Like all night.
Unlike Halls, which will try to choke you if you accidentally fall asleep with one in your mouth, these pastilles attach themselves to the roof of your mouth with super grip suction and literally stay put all night. If you don't chew it they'll last forever.
The whole Olbas line is phenomenal. I also picked up some of their essential oil blend that can be used for deep tissue relief and can also be used for inhalation. I was ready to hunker down with some Vicks but read the ingredients, got to turpentine and just couldn't do it. Fueled by thrift I attempted to make a poultice of crushed fresh mints and tea tree oil. I couldn't smell a thing but Minh took one whiff and bellowed,"WITCHCRAFT!" And hid his face under the covers.
I shelled out for the Olbas and couldn't have been happier. It smells much better and actually works.
Speaking of noses. We were at dinner with my folks last week because I wanted to infect the entire county and after going over my maladies in gory detail my mother describes my baby brother as, "the only one without respiratory problems."
What.
Ok so I hadn't really breathed out of the right side of my nose on the regular for the past ten years, but really, does that make me respiratorially deficient? I'm not up to owning that.
Thankfully, after finding Alkalol, I don't think I'll have to. No, I'm not drunk and no that's not a misspelling.
Alkalol is a hundred year old magical nasal rinse made with some salts and oils of cinnamon, pine and other lovely things. When you put it in your nose it feels like you're getting water boarded in Tahoe. It's amazing. I've done it a few times now and haven't felt this clear since... long time.
So I have no idea if my folk remedies shortened the duration of whatever this beastly thing was, but the Olbas definitely helped and the cooking and running and shopping kept me thoroughly occupied.
I've never met a pair if spinning wheels I didn't like.
