BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY?

I haven't posted in a few days for two very good reasons: 1) we were enjoying the company of two out-of-town friends (Warren from Scotland and Jen from Birmingham) and 2) I am sicker than a dog. Poor dogs - I hope they never feel this bad.

What started out as a warning tickle last Tuesday took less than 12 hours to develop into a fierce sore throat, swollen glands and earache that had me worrying about tonsillitis or strep throat. I can't remember the last time my throat hurt that much or for so many days without relenting. But relent it did last night, only to develop into one mother of a head cold, complete with a sinus headache, plugged/runny (at the same time! doesn't seem fair) nose and swollen, watery eyes. Such is the state I find myself in tonight.

Normally I hate taking medicine, feeling that it would be best to let my body and its own defences do their jobs. I try to tough out pain because inflammation means it's healing, etc. But this cold has me so whupped that I offered nary a resistant whine to Ray-administered NyQuil two nights ago and by last night I was swigging it on my own, with gusto. Two funny stories about NyQuil - you cannot find it in the UK, so we brought a couple of bottles back with us the last time we were in Canada (the cold remedy staple here, LemSip, is DISGUSTING and doesn't do a thing...I suspect I could sell the NyQuil on the street corner and make big bucks); and because of my aversion to medication, NyQuil has been the source of several disagreements in the Grout household. I usually go to be snuffly and grumbly, and Ray entreats me to "please just take the damn stuff" so HE at least can get some sleep. I get his point, but really, have you tasted the stuff?

However, it appears that my NyQuil consumption (rounded out with another smuggled substance - Advil) is all for naught - I still feel terrible with a capital T. Except maybe I'd feel even worse without the medicine, and I don't even want to entertain that thought. Now I'm about to shuffle off to bed, and might even allow myself to be slathered with Vicks - another remedy I abhor, so my willingness to undergo this procedure should let you know just how lousy I am feeling.

Will report back tomorrow, depending on how it goes. Oh Cold, ye be banished!

PS. Despite suffering from the worst cold I've had since the Snuffles of Spring 2001 (how I shudder when I remember that week!), we had a lovely visit with Jen and Warren.