* Nothing you can't handle * Be unstoppable * Take charge and mean it * Buckle down and push forth * Don't waste a precious minute * Fire up those engines * Go for it * You can do it and you know it * Seize the day * Go get it * Keep your chin up * You got it in you * Put a little strut in it * Be resilient *
Day #3 of having NO VOICE. My new signature scent is Vick's AND I have now used 2 full boxes of tissues AND consumed 2 bags of Sugar-Free Triple Soothing Action drops with the catchy pep talk phrases on each wrapper. Really, do we need a pep talk on each drop? Seriously, I've grown weary of this cold. I really just want it to move on now. I am belly-aching but the truth is the fact that I have no voice is the sign that it is coming to it's end. So on that note, I thought I'd share a few things about living with a cold.
Up first -- How to PROPERLY blow your nose. Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way!
•Blow your nose gently. Blowing too hard creates even more pressure that can force infectious mucus into your ears and sinuses.
•Avoid the "both-nostrils-open" blow. Instead ...
•Press a finger over one nostril.
•Gently blow your nose into a paper tissue through the one open nostril.
•Switch your finger to close the opposite nostril, and repeat.
•Although you will feel most "stuffed-up" when you first wake up (after lying flat all night), don't blow your nose immediately. It's best to wait five or 10 minutes after you've been sitting upright before doing so.
•Drink plenty of fluids. This will make it easier for mucus to be removed by blowing gently. Blowing your nose after taking a steamy shower can also help.
•Use paper tissues rather than cloth handkerchiefs. A used handkerchief is a breeding ground for germs -- and when you reuse it you're spreading those germs around your face and hands.
•Only use a paper tissue once, then throw it away. This minimizes the risk of putting germs back onto your face and hands.
•Wash your hands when you're finished, as germs from your nose and tissue will be transferred to your fingers while you blow.
Gargling with warm salt water DOES help. As does drinking warm drinks, lots of rest and I have become a huge fan of Mucinex.
One of the girls I work with insists that putting Vick's Vaporub on the bottom of your feet cures a cough and helps you get rid of a cold quicker.
FALSE! There is no credible scientific evidence to back up this claim. The Vapo-action requires you breathe the camphor fumes to get relief -- at 5'2", my feet are still too far from my nose for there to be much relief :)
Now that I have said all of that, I have something serious to ask of you. My daughter asked me to request prayer for one of her little daycare boys. Keller is 2 years old with the most crystal blue eyes you've ever seen. He is a ball of energy that is obsessed with fishing. His doctors have discovered a mass in his little body. That mass seems to be attached to his spine. He was taken to Omaha, NE and they have referred him to doctors in Boston. He is undergoing a biopsy there tomorrow. Please pray for him, his family and the wisdom of the doctors there in Boston. Thank-you!
