Last weekend I had a runny nose and scratchy throat. I figured I was getting a cold, but the symptoms only lasted for 12 hours and disappeared as quickly as they came. I congratulated myself, deciding my healthy habits had allowed me to nip the virus in the bud.
Not so fast, though! The virus didn't go away; it just disappeared to regroup. Yesterday I was at work when it returned with a vengeance. My nose ran, my eyes itched, and I sneezed on a regular basis. The symptoms continued the rest of the day. At bedtime I used my neti pot, took a decongestant, and smeared a generous amount of Vicks on my chest.
This morning I was sneezing less, but I still had a runny nose. Since I didn't have a fever and wasn't coughing I didn't think about calling in sick to work. Instead, I prepared for my shift. The mall tissues are scratchy and not very absorbent, so I threw a couple of purse packs in my lunch box. Right before I walked out the door I took a decongestant, and made sure I had another one for midday when the first one wore off.
When I set up the Customer Service area I placed a pack of tissues and a bottle of hand sanitizer at the end of the desk, and tucked a small trash can under the seating area for used tissues. I sneezed into my sleeve, and used liberal amounts of hand sanitizer. Fortunately the mall wasn’t busy today so I didn’t have to interact with too many customers (and several of the 'regulars' moved on when I told them about my symptoms).
Right before my replacement arrived I spritzed the things I’d touched with alcohol spray and wiped them down. As the day wore on I noticed that I wasn’t blowing my nose as much. I hope that means I’m on the downhill slope of this cold.
Five years ago today: Tacky
I hope your cold passes quickly. I seem to get one every single semester except this last one. Now the new semester is getting ready to start next week, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't get a cold twice.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep my fingers crossed, too!
DeleteYou are a very considerate of others! I feel fortunate that I haven't had to deal with a cold ...... just the shoulder and the back.
ReplyDeleteI'd much rather have a cold than what you're going through...
DeleteYes, I hope you're on the downward slope. Man alive but you're considerate of others. I am so impressed. I sat next to a fellow on the plane this week who was coughing up a storm. I kept zipping into the bathroom to wash my hands. Got my fingers crossed I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon.
I could take the time to be considerate because the mall was so darn SLOW! If it had been just a few weeks earlier during the holiday rush things would have been completely different :-)
DeleteMeant to also say I read your "tacky" piece. Made me smile. I've got a spot on my bathroom ceiling from one of those stars. Can't imagine a constellation!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if everyone who has kids in that age range has spots on the ceiling from those things?
DeleteSo sorry to hear you're under the weather. Makes life a bit harder, but you seem to be handling it very well. Reminded me of when I was teaching and had to "soldier on." I would recommend, at the very first sign of the the sniffles, in addition to what you did, to also take echinacea and suck on zinc lozenges. It really does work. The decongestant is also an excellent thing to do. Oh, and you should accept the Pope's FB invitation. I believe God has the man's ear.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was teaching in the preschool I always knew when I'd be getting a cold. Several day before the symptoms started I'd been directly sneezed on--usually by one of the special needs children.
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