Rolemommy

Five Ways to Kick a Bad Cold

It took nearly 365 days, but Mother Nature finally caught up with me. Perhaps the warm weather gave me a sense of reckless abandon. I cast my gloves aside after braving arctic temperatures and carelessly held onto metal subway poles, touching handrails and door knobs in my wake. Or maybe it was the fact that my daughter had caught a cold the week prior and managed to sneeze and cough in my direction at least three dozen times. But I was like Superman, impervious to cold germs. The weather was finally getting warmer and I had survived the winter without a single sniffle.

And then, the moment I let my guard down, it happened. I woke up last Sunday with a scratchy throat and while I initially attempted to shake it off, the signs became progressively worse. By the end of the day, my nose was completely stuffed, I couldn't breathe and my head felt like it had placed in a vice. And that's when I turned to my old faithful...Vicks.

The funny thing was, about two weeks ago when I was feeling completely fine, a very special delivery arrived in the mail from the folks at Vicks that came complete with two new Vicks products and an iPad which instantly directed me to the Vicks Vapor Rub fan page, which offers advice and helpful information about battling colds, cough and flu. Incidentally, if you visit the Vicks VapoRub page, over 67,000 people have liked Vicks. I'm sure there are millions more like me who turn to Vicks in their hours of need. In fact, let me share the regimen I undertook to rid my body of this awful cold.

First, I bought a Vicks Steam Inhaler. Think netty pot with a scent that'll clear out any mucous from your nostrils and chest after a few whifs. I know - it sounds gross, but when you're feeling achy, breathing in a little steam can do wonders for a head cold.

Next, I popped a Dayquil in my mouth - making sure I stayed awake while writing and working my usual schedule - no day off for me!

Before I hit the hay, I grabbed a jar of Vicks VapoRub topical ointment (which incidentally is safe for kids too - I had used it on my daughter the week prior) and applied it and then laid down while watching my favorite reality shows. Incidentally, my family opted to watch TV in another room since the smell was a bit strong for them. I could care less considering every time I took a breath through my nose it felt like heaven.

By 8 pm, I popped a capsule of Nyquil in my mouth and got ready for that wonderful drowsy feeling to wash over me. For the record, while I used to swallow the hard stuff (Nyquil in a bottle) ever since they came out with the same potent medicine in capsules, I fell for it hook line and sinker.

While I was holed up on the couch feeling like a dish rag, it was pretty nice to kick back and read People Magazine on my brand new iPad (thank you Vicks) - another tip for someone feeling under the weather. Take a break, grab your favorite blanket and read a novel or celebrity magazine! Thanks to my wonderful head cold, I now know everything there is to know about the courtship of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

By day five of my cold, I was finally able to breathe through my nose again and while part of it settled in my chest, I took some cough medicine and then stuck my head over the steam inhaler a few more times and voila, I had finally kicked the virus to the curb.

So there you have it. While it may have taken five days, I managed to bombard those germs with everything from steam, to creams to drowsy and non-drowsy cold and cough medicine. Here's hoping I won't be catching another cold for at least 365 days. Maybe I should start wearing gloves all year round.

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Disclosure: Although I was not compensated for posting about the Vicks brand, I did receive an iPad in order to experience the new VapoRub Facebook page and the power of touch.

Posted in: Role Mommy Recommends on 04/22/2011