Zicam in a foxhole
I’m currently involved in medicine’s version of finding Jesus in a foxhole. Last night saw me use the swab and spray version of Zicam. I also pounded a glass of Airborne. Do I think these remedies work. No. Am I willing to believe they work as long as they don’t keep me from getting sick this weekend? Absolutely.
This will be the fourth consecutive year I’ve taken this trip. In 2004, I had a ball. In 2005, I didn’t feel so great. In 2006, I got “just kill me now” sick. This year, I’m doing everything I can to get back as close to 2004 standards as I can.
If you’re not a parent, you might not understand how hard this can be. The boy brings home two or three monkey viruses a month and between October and February remains in a semi-constant state of Centers for Disease Control attention. I thought I was in good shape when I got sick earlier this year. You know, antibodies and all. However, and maybe it is just my imagination, but I’m feeling a little stuffy, little scratchy, and a little bleh. Therefore, I’m in my foxhole and drinking zinc gluconate by the gallon.
Further compounding the problem, I am not at all focused on tasks that need attention. As a traveling companion wrote me this morning of his anticipatory glee, “I’m like a kid on Christmas eve. With ADD.” Regardless, I am a year older today and am trying my best to act like the responsible human being I am supposed to be.
I’m going to be semi-off-grid for the next four or five days. Any news from the trip will take place in the Twitter feed to the left or, in the event of cell phone pics, in the Buzznet feed at the bottom-left.
I leave you with nature’s birthday gift to me. For exactly three minutes yesterday, the sky was exactly as you see it below. Not so bad at all.
A very happy B-Day sir !
I highly recommend a dose of excess booze to build up the ‘ol anti-bodies.
If I look great all weekend…
You’ll know it works ! ;o)
C’ya soon.
Believe in the Zicam!
Happy belated birthday and I am so very excited to meet you finally!
My calendar at work for the day:
6:00am – 4:30pm Research
See you tomorrow with greyhound in hand.
I think you have a mental deficiency. I don’t believe in getting sick; ergo (?), I don’t get sick. Next question?
Believe in Airborne, too. It works. Or at least the placebo effect works for us…who knows, by why tempt fate by stopping now? If anyone in my home or extended family gets the inkling they are catching a bug, we all pump up on Airborne (as directed, mind you. multiple doses and all), and 2000 mg of vitamin C every four hours for a few days (that tip is from my mother, a Registered Nurse of nearly 40 years). Works like a charm pretty much every time.
I high reccommend Emer’gen C. It doesn’t help so much after you get sick but if you can catch things in that “MMM I think I may be coming down with something stage” it works great. It also works great when you are heading into a situation where you know you are going to be stressing your system. You can get it in the health food section of most grocery stores. I take it when I travel, especially to Vegas or overseas where the jet lag really hits ya.