The Back of Nowhere

My house sounds like it's been taken over by barking seals. Everyone has a cough and a stuffy nose. There may be no cure for the common cold, but this is what we're using to feel as comfortable as possible. This is just what we do when we're sick. If you'd like to try anything listed here, please check with your doctor first and use your common sense.


1) Hot steamy baths with vapor rub on our chests and under our noses. In these we drink at least one large glass of water.

2) Similarly- we go to bed with vapor rub on our chests and covered with a rice hot pad (I need to make new ones, I'll try to post instructions when I do).

3) Boiling water on the stove. We've had several humidifiers, but I can never keep them clean enough to make me comfortable.

4) Sitting with baby in the bathroom with a hot shower running to steam up the room. Sometimes I even nurse him there, if he's too stuffy to nurse.

5) Johnson's Soothing Vapor baby bath- for the whole family, not just the baby.

6) Hot raw honey and lemon tea and rose hip tea (high in vitamin C).

7) Echinacea morning and evening and extra vitamin C (just for the adults, I don't know the dosage for children- do you?)

8) Halls Mentho-lyptus cough drops. These are the worst tasting flavor, but the most effective at clearing out my nose.

9) All the juice you can drink. The kids really like this one. Right now they need the liquids more than I need to worry about sugar consumption.

10) A large pot of (sort of) homemade chicken noodle soup. I just used broth powder as a base and added noodles, leftover chicken, and veggies.

11) Easy entertainment- I'm re-reading Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly Series. Jeromebob is watching VeggieTales and Missy is watching Little House on the Prairie.

12) Sleepovers- The older children are sleeping on the living room floor, which makes them closer to our bedroom if they need something.

I knew this was coming, I was the last to get sick. But I thought it would miss me,because I don't have time to get sick... I sure wish I would have made better use of that warning!


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