My sister has had a raging cold for about three weeks now. She’s been coughing her poor head off, and generally feeling icky, though this week she definitely shows solid signs of being on the mend.
Jim got it last weekend. The speed with which he was slammed with the cold and accompanying cough was staggering. Saturday he was fine. Saturday night he felt ill. Sunday he declared that he had never felt that bad in his life. Monday he went to the doctor and was given antibiotics and a warning that if he didn’t feel better by Wednesday, he should come back so they could look for pneumonia.
I get bronchitis very easily and once it makes an appearance I’ve got it for weeks, so the fact that it recently moved into my house made me a little nervous. I started taking friends’ recommendations regarding preventative measures:
Trying to get more sleep: check.
Drinking more water: check. (Was already doing that.)
Taking Mucinex to keep from getting overly congested: check.
Drinking a bottle of fruit that contains 1000% of my daily Vitamin C requirement: check.
There’s one suggestion that I have vehemently rejected. Momo swears by apple cider vinegar. She uses it regularly and told me that I should gargle with it and then swallow it.
EEK! And ICK!
I rebelled against that suggestion immediately, and told her there was no WAY I was going to do that. And, eew.
The thing is, she keeps bringing it up. Also, she knows I’m a thinker, darn her.
I’m pretty sure she has tried to order me to use apple cider vinegar every single day this week, and every time she brings it up I make a huge scene about how I won’t do that.
But what if all of these other things I’m doing don’t work?
So I’m thinking about it.
I just can’t decide which is the lesser of two evils: trying the apple cider vinegar and not finding success with it, or putting myself through vinegar treatments, not getting sick, and then having to deal with Momo’s “I told you so,” which really wouldn’t be too bad because I happen to adore her.
I guess this requires more thought.
18 Comments
Liz
I like my grandmother’s remedy: heat a couple of tablespoons of honey and lemon juice. Drink with lots of rum.
Melisa Wells
Now THAT I’m willing to try.
megryansmom
Woman up! Drink the applecider, with honey to make it go down more easily. And DO NOT sit near me at monster jam!
Melisa Wells
You’re bossy.
Toni
Well, vinegar IS naturally anti-bacterial…so it makes sense. Although, might I suggest switching to an organic eating lifestyle? No one in my house has been sick since 2009. That’s when we started changing our diet. Yes, there may have been days where we felt a little “run-down” but it never turned in to anything. I dunno…just a suggestion. (that’s not to say I won’t get the flu tomorrow…but we are enjoying the track record thus far.)
Melisa Wells
You can *suggest* that… 🙂
I TOTALLY appreciate the benefits of that but it really isn’t realistic for us right now. I have made small changes in the way we eat and will continue to do so, but an across-the-board approach isn’t really in the cards at the moment.
Jennifer
I’ve heard of the apple cider vinegar thing before. Anything with the word vinegar in it, I avoid like the plague. The smell alone makes me gag. Can’t imagine what actually trying to ingest it would do to me. Good luck not getting sick.
Melisa Wells
Well, I bought it so I’ll let you know. 🙂
Shannon
It seems like when I try to take extra measures against getting the sickness of the house, I always end up getting it, but when I just take the attitude of “Relax, if it wants you, it’s gonna get you,” I escape unscathed. I think it’s because the stress of worrying about getting sick makes you more susceptible to getting sick. It’s just a Shannon theory, but I’m going with it.
That being said, I think the rum mentioned above may help with the Relax portion of my remedy.
Melisa Wells
I’ve been the total opposite. I have ALWAYS taken the “whatever will be, will be” attitude. This is probably the first time ever that I’ve tried to do anything to prevent it. 🙂
And yes, I have enough rum to share. Come on over. 🙂
Momo Fali
Here, Miss Thinker: I have used it for almost all of these things AND IT WORKS! http://www.rd.com/slideshows/8-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/
You have to get the kind with “the mother” in it. Bragg ACV is the best. JUST DO IT! I won’t even say I told you so. Well, maybe ONE time, but that’s IT!
Melisa Wells
Alright, I BOUGHT IT. That’s good enough, right? 🙂
Busy Mom
You’d actually be among the hip and happening if you did it just right: http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2010/03/the-strange-appeal-of-vinegar-in-a-cocktail.html
Busy Mom
Oh, and thank you. Thank you to hell for the Meatloaf ear worm.
Melisa Wells
You’re welcome? 🙂
I aim to please.
Abigail
My dad always swore by gargling with salt water. I don’t know if it’s as magic as he claims but it’s certainly easier than apple cider vinegar. You don’t even have to swallow the salt water.
Melisa Wells
I have done that before for a sore throat, but I’m not sure if that does anything else. I’ll keep you posted. 🙂
As Cape Cod Turns
Vinegar makes me think of Easter Eggs. Drinking it? ick.