My daughter spent the weekend in mountainous, majestic New Hampshire with her ebullient Gram and Grampa. She came back happy, well-fed, and vocal. She showed me a couple of new tricks. She loves to stand, though she can't stand up alone yet, and she likes to get up on all fours. She lifts her belly off the ground, rocking back and forth. It's only a matter of time before she starts crawling full-force. She turns 9 months old next week.
Unfortunately, once she got back, she was sneezing and coughing up a storm. A few hours later, so was I. Ugh. Poco started daycare at 12 weeks old, and since then, she and I, and occasionally my husband, will get beat down by a cold or stomach bug or random fever or all three every 2-6 weeks.I hardly ever call in sick, though I tell my patients with similar symptoms to do as I say, not as I do. I don't know why I don't call in sick more often. It's not as though my work doesn't understand the weakening effects of illness. Perhaps it's a pride thing. Perhaps I feel bad cancelling a day of patients who have been waiting to see me.
I have a couple of doctor friends who are the same way, in that we could be dying or feel like we are, and we will still show up to work. I know it's idiotic. Why would I show up and spread my germs around, not only to patients, but to my colleagues? Sometimes, we just have to work. I have many patients who don't call in sick, either. If they get a cold, this is usually what they have: a runny nose, facial congestion, ear popping, post nasal drip causing a cough, especially at night, and general fatigue. The fatigue is likely due to the fact that when you sleep with a stuffy nose, you're just not getting as much oxygen and you don't sleep as deeply. This is how I feel right now.
What do I do for my common cold? It's come down to a science, since I've had it so many times in the last 6 months. I drink lots of water. I love hot herbal caffeine-free tea with honey and lemon, if my throat can stand it. Then I sleep as much as I can. If' I'm at work, I have a water bottle on my desk. I wear a mask and wash my hands frequently. I usually will take a combination of an anti-histamine and decongestant to help me breath easier. This can be Claritin-D, Zyrtec-D, or Allegra-D. I take generics, but I list the brand names here because that's how they are most commonly known.
At the end of the work day, I'm usually beat. I skip the gym. I do not go the gym if I'm sick. I don't get anything out of it, and I feel absolutely crappy if I do go. I get to bed early. That's key. I'm not getting quality sleep, so I need as much of it as I can get. A lot of times, the post nasal drip will make me cough like crazy if I lie down flat, so I raise my head with 2-3 pillows. I will also take a Benadryl to help with nasal stuffiness and post nasal drip. If I have a fever, I don't go to work. That's a new rule for me. My mind gets fuzzy if I'm febrile, and I don't trust myself to make medical decisions when I'm mildly delirious.
My daughter is in the middle of her mid-morning nap, and so far, I don't hear much coughing from her. As for me, I'm waiting for Fexofenadine-D [Allegra-D] to kick in as I boil more water for tea. Perhaps this will only be a 24 hour bug.
