...Not sure where that expression comes from. But I've had a miserable cold since Christmas Day. Mostly spent day and night in bed sleeping.

Talked to my doctor's office and the only thing they recommended was 'plenty of sleep, liquids, aspirin.'

Time sure moves slow when you have a cold. I wake up about every 40 minutes, but it seems like it should have been 2 hours.

This is the first cold I've had in years.

No doubt a side benefit of your retail experience John. All those folks sneezing and coughing on you as you rang up their gifts. Hang in there and get lots of rest.

Hope you feel better soon. I just got over one myself along with a bad hack. I finally ask the doctor for some medicine and it is getting better.

A double shot of whiskey and a warm bath. That's an old Coastie's remedy.

The news has been saying there's numerous cases of flu out your way, John. They were saying it was very unusual to have a West Coast outbreak that then headed east. Usually it starts at this end of the country and works it way west. I guess bed-rest and lots of fluids will get you back out of the break-down-lane and up to speed on the highway.

That is a very true statement. The more you are exposed to the public, the more you are likely to pick up their germs. Most doctors will tell you to keep washing your hands as many times as possible when exposed to large groups of people beyond one person.

Get well soon!

Bob

Hot milk and honey... hot water, rum and sugar...

We had the flue too and both remedies helped!!! The first with the sore throat and not being able to sleep!
The second ... at the very least ... gets you past caring

Get better quickly and have a wonderfull New Year!

Thanks for the suggested remedies and the good wishes. For the first time since Christmas, I've feeling a little better today.

I got this from my spouse who picked it up on a trip earlier this month to visit her mom in Iowa.

Not to nit-pick, and some are not in to anything different or "new" (not that this is new, but new to them), but there are other alternatives to medication for everything; bad news, they may not work as quick (tho that depends), good news, they enhance and strengthen your immunity and stamina so you may not get sick the next time.

What I do is as close to natural as possible because your body recognizes and appreciates what it knows best; not chemical immitations with unknown side effects. Other than through the media (that gets their news from pharmaceutical and mainstream medical types) you hear of few if any side effects from herbs, vitamins and such compared to all of the dirt that you probably have heard about side effects and surpressed info of the pharmaceutical companies and their 100's of thousands of deaths and hospitalizations.

I spend a lot on vitamins and occasionally herbs, and also sometimes make my own extracts and I've worked in the grocery business for 8 yrs. and around people that get sickly for much longer. Do I get colds...sometimes, but rarely and they don't last as long as John's has. Yes, I'm 48 years old and he's presumably somewhat older, but, I stress out big time (another immune depressant) around people and their inconsiderate ways, though I'm trying to get better. I also don't get to wash my hands near as much as one would feel/tell you it's necess-ary. People say I don't look my age (most of the time), I rarely get sick, and one day after Christmas a few years back I cut my finger at work and had to spend about 4 or 5 hours in the emergency clinic with all of the sniffle-whooping-hackers (an increasingly immerging breed at this time of year) :p , and only got a little sore throat to which I downed some extra vitamin C and added some echinacea...drank some hot, appropriate herbal teas and it never developed into anything...AT ALL!

As for the old whiskey and lemon and honey, etc., they have their use, but any sugar (though a good antibacterial in wounds) only lowers/surpresses your immunity (even the popular OJ), so not good for a speedy recovery; just taste!

Well, I'm off my soap box, but this is why I use my signature which I use...as most people are not aware. I'm not a doctor, but have taken classes and studied nutrition and herbs/vitamins for several years.

Hope something here also helped,
Steve

If you have body aches, coughing, and fever, it's more likely the California Flu variety that's moving west to east. Fortunately this year's flu shot will work for the rest of us. Sorry.

If it's congestion, sneezing, runny nose, it's a cold and you'll just have to tough it out. My Thnaksgiving cold lasted three weeks, I have rotten sinuses that make these things linger.

By the way, I've never seen a dog as sick as I've seen people get.

Poor John, sounds awful! Steve's advice is very sound - the kind of thing I used to do - avoided medicine "like the plague" (another one of those sayings!). Now that I am "older", I have had to resort to meds, for some reason. John, how about we set a goal of 10,000 by 11:59 Dec. 31? That way, you will have that magic number completed before the year ends! (My turn to issue a challenge!!)

Maybe you can even time it so that it'll happen RIGHT at 11:59...the last post of 2005 and the first person to cross into 5 digit territory. It's 18 posts...it's two days...give it a shot!

Yeahhhhhh, YOU can DO IIIIIIIIT... just get a drip tray under your chin to protect your keyboard so the keys won't stick!

Steve

Tell her next time, forget the souveineers! :p

Steve

Sorry to hear you're sick! Hope you feel better soon. Happy New Year!

Feeling considerably better today. Not ALL better, however. Thanks for your good wishes.

Well, since you are better, you should be able to meet THE challenge!! We are watching!

How about good old chicken soup?

Well I try to get plenty of fluids on a daily basis, seems to ward off most illnesses....

Back in the days when I worked I seemed to get a cold at Christmas time every year. Not my favorite gift. Also at other times of the year. I've found that since I've retired I don't get colds at all.

So maybe your cold didn't come from Iowa but from your local Barnes and Noble? I'd check out their return policy.