I’ve always been prone to upper respiratory sicknesses. My father is an ER doctor, and growing up I seemed to catch every virus that was going around. This made for some interesting, and for my parents nerve-wracking, breathing problems as a child, and a hefty knowledge of treatments, such as Z-Packs, as an adult.
Unfortunately, as my mother has always told me: “There’s never a good time to get sick, buy a house or have children.” And boy, have I been experiencing the first one in spades.
To start, I’m finalizing the December issues of New Orleans Magazine and St. Charles Avenue, which means I need my brain to be clear and focused, not fuzzy or hopped-up on DayQuil and Sudafed. It also means that I’m missing out on some incredible experiences; Boudin, Bourbon & Beer was this past weekend and I was running too high a fever to even get to my front door – and I love that event. In addition, being married means that when I get sick, almost always so does my husband. (Thank goodness he makes amazing chicken soup!)
Over the years I’ve learned a few things about how to treat myself: 1) Listen to my body – if I’m craving orange juice, I should have some; if I’m running a fever and not hungry, I should be cautious and eat just a little of something bland. 2) Sleep; just that, sleep as much as possible. 3) If that doesn’t work, try drugs – the over-the-counter kind. 4) When those are failing, go see a doctor – in my opinion a Z-Pack is one of the greatest things ever created by humans. 5) If nothing else works then I fall back on a favorite saying: "Reality is for those who can’t apply makeup." Because sometimes you have to suck it up, get things done and be so busy you forget to be sick – and looking fabulous raises your mood in the bargain.
