A request for healing from a cold...

[kentauros]

It's that time of the year! No, wait, it's not. Nonetheless, I managed to get a cold (probably from my supervisor as one of his children had something last week) and, combined with the stress of getting myself and everything ready for a trip to NZ in less than two weeks, I had to take the day off from work. I think the interior itching of my nose is driving me the most batty! :crazy:

So, whatever y'all can spare as well as nutritional/supplemental advice would be greatly appreciated

[MorningGlow]

1. Awww!

Sorry to hear you're poorly! (Received your PM and your e-mail--just got back from running errands, so I'll get on it now!) Sending healing energy your way so the cold clears up as quickly as possible. I usually recommend mega doses of zinc and/or echinacea, but those have to be taken at the first sniffle. At this point you'd do best with chicken soup, lots of water, lots of tea, and rest.

And yeah, what is it with the itchy nose? I never had that symptom with colds till a couple of years ago--it's insane!

[kentauros]

5. I thought about the zinc, but I'd have to go buy it.

I do have plenty of Vit. C and have been taking larger doses. Oh, I just found a bottle of Sambucus (black elderberry) chewables I forgot I had so I will be munching on those, too ;)

I've had two pots of tea today, though I will make more. Drinking water has always been a problem for me, or to drink lots of it anyway. I guess I'll just drink more tea. I do have an ayurvedic blend with echinacea and one of those "cold care" blends with things like Linden and Elder flowers.

Too often, I mistake my itchy nose for allergies and it often is just that. So, I didn't properly diagnose this until it was too late, since it felt like allergies in the beginning. Like you say, though, that internal itchy nose seems to have only come into being in the last few years. I just thought it was my allergies "evolving" but now I have to question that...

I'll have to pass on the chicken soup because I'm vegetarian. I did heat up a can of maple-baked beans earlier today with half of a raw onion in it, though I wasn't as hungry as I thought. I am curious if I can use the astragulous root in another way than with chicken? Thanks for the other suggestions; I'll look for them when I go out later. I can always take much of this while I'm at work, too.

I like ginger, so I'll try the ginger and scallion remedy. I have honey, though I noticed today that I let it sit too long and it's crystalizing now...

I'll get the Epsom salts when I go out in a bit as I am out and need more on hand. I may also use some apple cider vinegar since my chiropractor often recommends it for other ailments as well (such as the rhoid 'problem'.)

Now then, about New Zealand. You see, my girlfriend, whom I met online, is a native of NZ. She would like to be with me instead of us being separated like this and I want to be with her, too. However, were she to come over, she would be bringing her furbabies (a dog and a cat) with her and you can bet Customs wouldn't consider that a simple 'visit'. So, per immigration law, we have to meet face-to-face before we get her a visa to enter this country. That particular visa is called a "Fiance Visa" and gives us an additional 90 days to figure out if we are meant for one another or not. If we haven't gotten married by then, she would go back to NZ and that would be that between us. However, we both feel that this short one-week visit I'm taking will tell us all we need to know about in-person compatibility and whether to start the visa process or not. We feel we will, of course; we've been going together online since a year ago last January :)

My first wife and I met online as well. Though we lived together for over ten months before we married, we also knew within a month if we were meant to be together or not. We 'courted' online for only about five months, so Maryanne and I feel we know that much more about each other this time around.

So, I'm using the last of my vacation time before it gets reset on May 1st, my anniversary with the company I work for. Now I just need to watch for my passport to show up along with all the other things I ordered for the trip (just some electronics for the flight and so on.) I should be over this cold by then and ready for any kiwi germs to come my way down under :P

[MagickMuffin]

7. You should think about buying a Neti Pot

I make my own solution and use it twice a day ( I grind my own salt to a fine powder using the food processor) 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda into a full glass of water that has been preheated. I have been using it to try and repair/restore my olfactory bulb, I lost my sense of smell a few years ago, and the Neti Pot and Alpha Lipoic Acid are starting to show signs of working.


You can rehydrate your honey by microwaving or in a pan of water on the stove top, but before you do either of those techniques be sure to use a glass jar this it is very important. I buy huge bottles of honey and sometimes it will become crystallized and if it comes in contact with normal honey that honey will also crystallize. I just finished making a glass jar from a peanut butter container for my honey, now I just stick it in the microwave for a minute and it is back to normal.

Sending you healing energy as well.

Good Luck in NZ, that should be a really exciting adventure, and I hope you have recovered by then.

[kentauros]

8. I have considered a Neti Pot and only seem seem to visualize drowning myself

;)

I've read the directions and it just doesn't make sense to how you keep from draining it all down your throat. I'd like to see an in-person demo before I attempt it. I'm fine with saline nasal sprays, though. I think part of the apprehension is from having choked on food a couple of times and plenty of close calls in between. So, deliberately pouring a liquid into part of my breathing apparatus is a bit hard to get past at this time. I do understand the merits, but it may take the hands of a professional to do it a few times and show me than for me to "just try it."

Thanks for the info on honey. I don't use it very often, though when I make bread, I do use it as food for the yeast. Plus, it adds its natural hydroscopic ability to the final product. Your bread won't go stale as fast :)

Thank you for the healing energy and the well wishes for my trip. I'm sure I'll have plenty of photos to share, too :D

[I Have A Dream]

10. You may want to think about getting a Waterpik with a nasal...

irrigation tip on it. It does most of the work for you. I love mine!

[MagickMuffin]

13. Here's a link to how to videos

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=neti+pots

I was nervous before using one, but I just followed the instructions. Insert spout in nostril, tilt your head to the side and breathe through your mouth, breathing through your mouth prevents the water going down your throat. Be aware that sometimes my nose drains after the treatment, so have tissues handy.


Looking forward to your pics.

[LiberalEsto]

14. It doesn't go down your throat

You breathe with your mouth open, and the stuff just trickles out your other nostril.

I started using one this winter and am impressed with how well it works. Everyone else in my family has had several bad colds, but I haven't had anything except the slight beginnings of a cold. As soon as I feel the first symptoms, I use the neti pot, and it seems to wash the cold right out.

I used to catch everything that was going around.

[SheilaT]

15. Drinking lots of water

really helps. I suppose that tea and clear soups more or less count, but plain water really needs to be drunk. I was told that many years ago as an "old wives' tale" that really worked, and it's one I personally swear by. I drink lots of water, almost never any soft drinks, absolutely no diet drinks, and I'm the healthiest person I know.

The problem with a cold is that once you come down with one, you'll generally recover in about a week if you treat it, seven days if you don't treat it.

I know that many here have remedies they swear by, and of course try any and all you think will work for you.

[Kind of Blue]

16. Oh, Kentauros. I wish I could offer a

remedy. It's always knock down drag fights out with my colds/flu - I get the smack down. But I am sending you lots of healing love.

And keeping my fingers crossed for a smooth incredible adventure. I do request a match for you!

Hope you have time to send pictures while you're away, not that you'll be thinking of us much, but I'll certainly be thinking of you in that beautiful country :)

[stellanoir]

2. A simple Chinese cure

is to simmer a handful of quarter sized slices of ginger and several scallions in water for about 20 minutes or so.

Sweeten with brown sugar or honey to taste.

[Dover]

3. I'm sorry kentaurus, but I'm too busy envying your trip to consider supplements...lol!

Wow! Is it a vacation or work related? I want to hear all about it when you return!

Okay, I got that out of my system. What I usually do to get over a cold (or just about anything) is to take a long deep warm soak in epsom salts and/or a steam. And if my nose is irritated by a cold or pollens, I will often do a warm salt water nasal cleanse by inhaling it into my nose. That always seems to clear it up. You certainly need to get good and rested and well before your long flight.
Have a wonderful experience in NZ!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Astragulous soup

Astragulous root can be found in any health food store. Make up chicken soup and put a root in it. It builds up the immune system and can help you get over your cold faster.

Monolauren (lauric acid) will help stop a cold as well.

Edited to add: Xlear nasal spray will help with that itchy nose.

[I Have A Dream]

6. I'm sending healing vibes your way, kentauros.

I'm visualizing you happy and healthy on your way to NZ.

Have a great trip! :D

[kentauros]

9. Thank you I Have A Dream; I really appreciate that.

You're a great human bean!

[I Have A Dream]

11. ...

:D

[elleng]

12. Itching inside your nose sounds like allergy to me!

Normal cold should be gone in a week, so if not, see doc, have ears checked.

Have a great trip!

[kentauros]

17. Y'all aren't going to believe this (or maybe you will)

but due to my increased intake of fluids, I've aggravated a kidney stone (left side) and am now on Percocet. I'm starting to feel the effects of it, too (powerful stuff!) though I won't know the results of the MRI until sometime in the morning. I'll be going back to work then, and will just have to make do if I'm still in pain.

The bright side is that maybe it will knock me out and I can sleep! All that coughing last night kept me awake or I was practically coughing in my sleep and it went into my dreams. That was a weird experience.

I suppose I can still take Epsom salt baths, though I doubt that I'll have much useful energy left to take care of all the other wonderful remedies y'all posted. I should make a list of all that for the next time I get a cold (or whatever) so I can either have things on hand or an easily-remembered list of ingredients to go shopping for.

I'll have a look at that Neti Pot video so I can try it anyway. I do have a WaterPik, though it's not used much. I'll have to see if I have the irrigation attachment; I don't recall seeing it.
Okay, losing coherency........

[I Have A Dream]

18. Sorry to hear it, kentauros.

:(

You have to order the nasal irrigation attachment on-line from an independent company. I can give you the details if you ever want to look into it.

I hope that you feel better soon. :hug:

[kentauros]

19. I'm feeling better already!

but that's just the drugs ;)

Thanks for your help, though; I really do appreciate it :hug: If you want to PM me the irrigation attachment info, I'd appreciate that, too. I should probably look up about kidney stones in a book on natural healing I have around here. It's a great book because it gives nutritional, supplemental and herbal info in addition to advice on maintenance as needed. I believe Whole Foods uses it as their primary look-up guide in their herb-departments.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing for those of you that have never seen it. I find it to be a great resource, whether I always follow its advice or not ;)

[MorningGlow]

20. Oh no!

Poor you! :( Mr. MG used to get kidney stones all the time--so bad he could barely move except to vomit repeatedly--so I know how awful they can be. His savior was Vicodin--hey, anything to give you some relief.

Keep those fluids coming so you can get rid of that little bugger. Sending more light for fast, safe passage... :hug:

[kentauros]

21. Good news update!

The urologist just called and said there was no stone visible. Not that there might not be one anyway and is just too small to show up on the MRI. I still have pain, not as much as yesterday, so it was likely as he described it: too much fluid at once and putting pressure on the existing stone(s). So, now I still need to drink plenty of fluids only to sip throughout the day, giving the kidneys time to send it through the ureter in a trickle instead of a flood ;)

The cold is diminishing, too. No more fluctuating fever and the coughing is at least doing some work instead of reacting tightness. Once I've washed the Percocet out of my system, I'll have more energy, especially to use for remedies and get my appetite back.

I give my best heartfelt thanks to you all for your ideas and energies and will still apply what I can of them :hug:


In the meantime, I now have a nice little media-toy I'm taking on the trip:




COWON S9

:D