Yep, kitchen table a mess.
Just emerging from a bout with this season's flu. First morning in a week where I think I will live. The wife brought it home from Texas two weeks ago (we think) and was the first to go down with a raw sore throat and loss of voice for three days straight. This flu hit her much harder than it hit me. Just as she was coming out and able move about, I went down and she was taking care of me. We were fortunate that one of us was well enough to help the other. All in all, we have both been out of the loop going on 18 days.
Just emerging from a bout with this season's flu. First morning in a week where I think I will live. The wife brought it home from Texas two weeks ago (we think) and was the first to go down with a raw sore throat and loss of voice for three days straight. This flu hit her much harder than it hit me. Just as she was coming out and able move about, I went down and she was taking care of me. We were fortunate that one of us was well enough to help the other. All in all, we have both been out of the loop going on 18 days.
There are a few good lessons. HONEY saved the day for us. The sore throat that starts this season's flu mess is not to be taken lightly. For all the home flu and cold remedies available for review on the net, HONEY worked best from the get-go. For her, it helped her be able to swallow when she could not for a day or two due to raw throat and swallowing was next to impossible. I heated up some honey and started her with dips and sips off a spoon. It worked. Soothed her throat allowing for more fluid intakes and right into warm tea and honey. We lived on tea and honey for several days. Once her throat improved, other liquids and solids followed. Cold vanilla milkshakes from the local drive-through and sips of ice water also helped at the onset of her bout. Our doctor said that having popsicles in the freezer are also helpful to soothing sore throats.
I started on Emergen-C which works for me as preventative and helps boost my immune system. Hell, I do not really know, but it has been 10 years since I have been this sick and attribute those non-sick years to "pre-loading" my system with the vitamins in that product. I was also better rested and prepared going into this flu than the wife was. Regardless, the flu this season schooled us on how bad it can be.
If you have not had the flu or cold this season, then I will advise to prepare now.
*Put in a few pounds of good honey from a local farmers market. It cost more but makes a difference. Also put some in for the After.
*Do you home work on other OTC products. Chloraseptic spray helps numb the throat.
*Nyquil and Dayquil products. Very helpful these past two weeks.
*Zicam. Review this product. We heard about it after it was too late but will add to our list for next time around. Some folks we have talked to swear by it.
*Magic Mouthwash EQU was prescribed by our doctor and has to be compounded. Your corner pharmacy will not have the stuff to make this, but the pharmacies at the large, all-purpose chains can. It is pink, has a short shelf life and helped. We could have done all of this w/o this prescription, but in the middle of both of us battling this flu, we would go through the trouble to get it again. Nasty tasting but quiets a raw throat instantly and for awhile. If you can get this from your doctor ahead of time to have on had this flu season might be worth your time. Tastes as nasty as it looks.
*Cough drops and zinc lozenges helped keep a quiet throat. Do your homework on zinc lozenges ie., when not to use.
*Old home remedies: Any of the old home remedies handed down through the family over the years is worth noting and having on hand. Also, the net is filled with great ideas for sore throats and flu-helping advice.
*Comfort foods. For us it was homemade chicken soups, oatmeal, white rice with butter and sugar, scrambled eggs, sugar cinnamon toast and constant hot/warm tea with honey. We went through a pound of honey this bout.
*Vicks Vabo-Rub. Yep, works as well as it did 70 years ago as a young child. Good coating on the chest, covered in a warming cloth and then a hot water bottle set on top and t-shirt pulled over to hold in place. Helps break up congestion.
Saturday morning now as I write and we have both come out of this flu and in kitchen cleanup mode. Re-storing meds in our "Box O Flu" and putting back on the medicine shelf.
ADVICE
Big travel week and Black Friday ahead. Time of the seasons to be around more folks than we normally are. The chances of someone in your family picking up something and bringing it home is worth betting on. If you are prepared for the nasty sore throat that comes with this season's flu, you will be way ahead of the game. If you are traveling this week, take it with you.
Talk to a pharmacist about any OTC cold and flu remedies and seek their advice. They see it all and most likely can give some insight that may be helpful.
Do not ignore the onset of the cold or flu this season.
WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX O FLU MEDS?
This was part of our flu experience and it may or may not apply to you and yours. Bottom line is do your homework and be prepared to take care of yourself and your family. Products mentioned are ones we have tried. Any over the counter products / home remedies you choose to use need to be researched, run through your doctor's advice as any/all may apply to your situation.
*Nyquil and Dayquil products. Very helpful these past two weeks.
*Zicam. Review this product. We heard about it after it was too late but will add to our list for next time around. Some folks we have talked to swear by it.
*Magic Mouthwash EQU was prescribed by our doctor and has to be compounded. Your corner pharmacy will not have the stuff to make this, but the pharmacies at the large, all-purpose chains can. It is pink, has a short shelf life and helped. We could have done all of this w/o this prescription, but in the middle of both of us battling this flu, we would go through the trouble to get it again. Nasty tasting but quiets a raw throat instantly and for awhile. If you can get this from your doctor ahead of time to have on had this flu season might be worth your time. Tastes as nasty as it looks.
*Cough drops and zinc lozenges helped keep a quiet throat. Do your homework on zinc lozenges ie., when not to use.
*Old home remedies: Any of the old home remedies handed down through the family over the years is worth noting and having on hand. Also, the net is filled with great ideas for sore throats and flu-helping advice.
*Comfort foods. For us it was homemade chicken soups, oatmeal, white rice with butter and sugar, scrambled eggs, sugar cinnamon toast and constant hot/warm tea with honey. We went through a pound of honey this bout.
*Vicks Vabo-Rub. Yep, works as well as it did 70 years ago as a young child. Good coating on the chest, covered in a warming cloth and then a hot water bottle set on top and t-shirt pulled over to hold in place. Helps break up congestion.
Saturday morning now as I write and we have both come out of this flu and in kitchen cleanup mode. Re-storing meds in our "Box O Flu" and putting back on the medicine shelf.
ADVICE
Big travel week and Black Friday ahead. Time of the seasons to be around more folks than we normally are. The chances of someone in your family picking up something and bringing it home is worth betting on. If you are prepared for the nasty sore throat that comes with this season's flu, you will be way ahead of the game. If you are traveling this week, take it with you.
Talk to a pharmacist about any OTC cold and flu remedies and seek their advice. They see it all and most likely can give some insight that may be helpful.
Do not ignore the onset of the cold or flu this season.
WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX O FLU MEDS?
This was part of our flu experience and it may or may not apply to you and yours. Bottom line is do your homework and be prepared to take care of yourself and your family. Products mentioned are ones we have tried. Any over the counter products / home remedies you choose to use need to be researched, run through your doctor's advice as any/all may apply to your situation.
......................................
Enjoy the up-coming holiday week, family and friends. The Thanksgiving Holiday is long steeped in history of people taking time to gather for blessing of the harvest. For us, it is always a time of the season for good food, gathering of friends, family and giving thanks to the times of our lives. I wish you all the best this Thanksgiving, 2017.
I appreciate your visit this week.
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