The ginger didn’t really help

Well, I should have known. There were a bunch of little signs, like that on Monday I couldn’t get warm, no matter how hard I tried, or that in the morning I didn’t want coffee, and that in the evening I turned down a glass of wine. That night when I went to bed I had a fever and a bit of a cough, and on Tuesday morning when I woke up, I had a whole bunch of a cough. That evening it was all I could do to play “let’s pretend to be sleeping” games with Lou, and by the time I got home after dinner, the whole scene couldn’t be denied any longer. I was sick. Hugely, magnificently sick, and I did what I usually do, which is tuck up into bed with a bit of knitting (more for holding, than for knitting) and tried to sleep, and drank four thousand cups of tea, took some herbal stuff that usually feels great,  and hoped for the best.

I held on like that until this morning, when after yet another sleepless night, and ribs sore from coughing and a fever and chills still raging, I did something that I almost never, ever do.  I went to the doctor. She walked in, saw me there and said “Well, I never see you!” and I did something I’m really not too proud of. First, I cried (that’s the lack of sleep talking, I’m sure of it, I’m normally a lot stronger) and then (through hacks, wheezing and tears) I said “Listen, there comes a time when even a hippy has to say F- you, slippery elm bark tea” and asked for help.

sirensong 2016-01-21

(That’s what I’m knitting, by the way. It’s the Siren Song wrap – though I’m doing it out of laceweight, so it won’t be as big as all that, and it’s going reasonably well, considering that the last few days I’ve had problems with counting.)

Help she did. I’m home again, with a few modern drugs that have already helped a whole lot. I can (mostly) breath again, I’m just about to lie down for a nap and think I might actually sleep, rather than just lying there on a raft of self-pity that was sinking fast. I’m having (another) cup of slippery elm tea, because – well, I’m still me… and a bit of a knit. More tomorrow when I’m assuming the modern medicine I so frequently mock will have healed me entirely.

103 thoughts on “The ginger didn’t really help

  1. Feel better soon! I, too, came down with a fever and chills yesterday but no cough. It’s a little better today, but two days of little food have made me weak. I’m hoping to be able to go to work tomorrow!

  2. Have yourself a hot steamy shower to help clear a stuffy head.
    Push the fluids.
    Good old chicken soup is very helpful.
    Have plenty of stitch markers on hand for counting.
    Be well soonest.

  3. Poor you – hope you’re back to feeling well soon. I empathize. I don’t get sick often, either. I went to my doctor’s office a couple of years ago because I had some viral hell. Her evil nurse shoved something up my nose to test for the flu & it hurt so much that I burst into tears. I don’t do that often, either, but it surprised the heck out of the nurse. Anyway, hope your doctor’s staff is nicer than mine was.

    • Nurses are not evil for sending flu swabs. It is not a comfortable test. Flu can be very serious and as an ICU nurse, I’ve seen many critical flu cases. Many of those are otherwise healthy, middle aged individuals.

  4. Ouch. Seems to be going around, too. One of my friends over in the UK has a really bad cold, and that’s on top of asthma, Bronchitis and COPD.
    Hope you feel better soon, and fill up on liquids, especially tea with lemon and honey. (I had to touch the leaf to confirm I’m human. How fitting, hm?)

  5. Hang in there. You need to build your stamina so you can finish and block that shawl. After all, laceweight can play tricks — the shawl may turn out to be even bigger than all that!

  6. Ouch! Can you give yourself a vegan dispensation on honey?
    It was either that in my tea or dumb luck that allowed me to get over hackitosis three times as fast as my husband in December.
    I will now give the airplane icon a good punch for you-be well!!!

  7. I went for medical attention on Monday – recuperating from pneumonia since — not a fun thing. Hope we both feel better soon

    • It does work – I did a tea with thyme, black pepper, ginger and honey last year for cough and it worked well, even though I used boiling water. The other ingredients won’t hurt either… 🙂

  8. Dear Stephanie I hope you feel better. I had to think a few minutes on what to write , but have settled on this. If modern medicine is able to help you, consider it pay back for helping more than one knitting physician keep his or her sanity during some pretty dry conferences. I have a few pairs of socks knit from your recipe as proof.

  9. I wonder if you-being a hippy-have ever tried any essential oils. My friend knows how to concoct the most wonderful, and helpful mixtures. I have several for different purposes and love them. Food for thought…

  10. It’s so hard when you feel miserable. Rest up, med up and soon you’ll be back to your preferred health options.
    minm
    PS love the color of the wrap

  11. It’s amazing how pain & illness to say nothing of exhaustion can play with our emotions. Feel better soon. Don’t forget good old black tea & honey. It acts as a bronchodilator. May you sleep well & feel better soon.

  12. Oh, why is January such an evil B to most of us? Let’s not even mention her twin hag sister, February! UGH. Sending healing thoughts.

  13. I’ve been lucky (knock on wood) to not have gotten really really sick in a long time. The last time I was down for the count was with a bad case of stomach flu that had me sobbing on the bathroom tile. My boyfriend got the trifecta over the summer though. A sinus infection, a case of strep throat, AND he found out he had mono. All at the same time. I felt so bad for him. Feel better, Harlot. Let the wool fumes cleanse you.

  14. Ohhh, poor baby girl! I can relate: last year I had a cough that lasted a month. ONE month. Don’t worry, yours won’t. The thing is, I NEVER go the doctor either, and I didn’t this time, so maybe that’s why it hung on so long. You add sleep deprivation to anything, and things turn into torture fast…

  15. Wow, you’re sick again? That sucks. Are you drinking orange juice, everyday? Pop an EmergenC into the juice as soon as there’s the slightest inkling of ‘not right’. Feel better . . . stay better.

  16. Oh my that pattern is lovely! Added it to my Rav library. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got.
    Gotta say I love homeopathy, I’ve never seen anything kick a cold’s arse like the zinc/magnesium/VitC 3-day combo, and a medicinal mint pillow heated up and inhaled for about a minute is fantastic for clearing nasal and chest congestion (not safe for kids tho, will give heart palpitations), and oils are wonderful, especially the doTerra product.
    But sometimes just gotta give in to modern medicine. I’m eager to see my doctor tomorrow to get a 2nd round of antibiotic for an ear infection that just won’t quit.
    I hope tomorrow is a better day for you my friend.

  17. Better living through chemistry! I like tea and ginger too but sometimes what you need comes out of a pharmacy! Hope you feel better soon.

  18. Hi Stephanie: Once I found your website, I went back and read every entry from number one. I noticed a pattern of you falling ill after a trip. A connection? Only you can answer that. Best wishes for a speedy recovery !

  19. I don’t get sick very often, but if I do, and if a cough tries to keep me awake at night, Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of my feet, then covered with socks works like a friggin’ miracle. Don’t ask me how that works, but I’ve been using this tip for years and passing it on to others who swear by it, too. Even safe for children.
    Hope you feel better soon!

  20. I’ve had several colds every winter since moving to Michigan. Something that has worked to quiet the coughing at night is rubbing my feet with a vapor rub and wearing cotton (I suppose wool would work too)socks to bed. I don’t know why it works but it does,added benefit it gets rid of the dryness that seems to happen to my heels in Winter. I hope you feel better soon.

  21. Oh Steph, I’m so sorry to hear you’re under the weather! Hope you’re back to your sassy self soon! Rest and feel better.

  22. Sorry you are feeling poorly again. Hope you bounce back quickly. As a matter of personal choice, I avoid any food or beverage with the word “slippery” in the name. Sounds icky, lol. No judgement, just saying…

  23. Get well soon! I have a short vacation to CA coming up and you’ve inspired me to bring anti bacterial wipes on the plane…I have breast cancer surgery two days after the trip and can’t afford a cold or flu! Traveling is do germy!!

    • Get those dust-preventer nose and mouth covers from the drug store. Ideally get the antibacterial kind, but even the dust preventers help. When I began wearing them in the airport and on the plane (removing for identification and eating), I avoided the airplane-disease problem almost 100%. But I had to wear them in the airport too – when I just wore them on the plane, I got sick once.

  24. I hope you’ll feel better soon! napping sounds like an excellent plan and hopefully modern medicine will indeed have you back to normal quickly.

  25. I’m amazed that you can still try to knit while sick! I had a bad bout of bronchitis last year and I couldn’t even pick up my crochet project for the month I was sick.

  26. Positive thoughts to help you feel better. I also prefer to avoid meds but when I break down and cry at the Dr. Office, it’s time to take the pills. Once the infection hits that point we run the risk of going septic and that can be deadly. So take the meds, rest and knit when you can. It can take awhile to recuperate. Let yourself relax (I’m not good at that either).

  27. Sometimes you just have to ask for help. I am in the denial stage right now myself. I keep telling myself that it is just a head cold. I hope that you start feeling better soon.

  28. Feel better soon. Sometimes modern medicine does have its uses, and this is one. I find a strong echinacea tea, with a few slices fresh ginger root tossed in during brewing, and add a large dollop of honey does wonders for me.

    Once I had a sinus infection so bad I could barely concentrate, and I was nursing so I wasn’t supposed to take anything if I could avoid it. After 4 days, in the interest of being concious to watch the kids, I took ONE Sudafed. After an hour I felt better than I had in ages, but I was so keyed up I didn’t sleep for 36 hours. Its a trade.

  29. Grapes have respiratory-germ-fighting zinc and in a safe delivery method–I throw a bunch in the blender with the OJ on a regular basis. Thank you for telling us what you’re going through at a time when writing takes energy, and I’m very glad there were meds for it and that they help. Get better quickly. *Hugs*

  30. Lots of unsolicited advice, but one more with apologies. Herbal remedies are usually fine, but check with pharmacist to ensure no contraindications with prescriptions in hand. (Some can be dangerous).
    Sending healing wishes; feel better soon.

  31. Hi… I’ve never written before, but I liked the hat that you knit on your vacation and from a kit. Is there any place I can buy a Kaffe Fassett like sweater kit? with all the different yarns?
    thanks

  32. Around here, everyone has the plague. Little Man got an ear infection, Stormageddon had pneumonia, Husband’s been home for a week and a half with something that makes him feel like warmed-over poo, and now I’m getting something (phlegm that won’t move, cough, itchy throat, but otherwise fine – I’d say it was allergies but my allergy meds aren’t doing anything). And then, all the kids in Little Man’s class got something (bronchitis, strep, ear infections, pneumonia, the whole gamut has been run in that room).

    So, feel better soon. Being sick sucks balls.

  33. Ouch! I hope you’ll be back on your own two in no time. But…& I don’t mean to sound like I’m insulting your intelligence: but do you take Vitamen D supplements? Ever since my Better Half & I started taking them, neither one of us have gotten sick in the past 3 years. We only take 2,000 i.u.’s, but you could see if taking a stronger dose may help you; considering how active you are. I also take MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) Crystals which also builds your immune system & maintains healthy joints (I never sit still, even when knitting!). I’m also one of those weirdos who swishes raw coconut oil in my mouth while making coffee & prepping breakfast in the morning, & I swear by it. It pulls toxins out of your body & keeps your teeth & gums healthy.
    From one hippy to another. I hope this helps!

  34. It took me 6 weeks of coughing before I finally went to the dr. Cough was completely gone in 2 weeks. I’ve learned my lesson. (I drink gallons of peppermint tea to stay warm inside and out…)

  35. Thanks for the pattern suggestions. Your knitting looks like knitting mine does not. I think it is color. Im craylola crayon programmed I think. I knit a white cardigan a navy cardigan, a tomato cardigan. I want the hand knitted look but I got a walmart brain. I’m trying. I bought some fern yarn that looked like it had been dredged up from the bottom of the swamp. I’m saving my money for some yarn so it can look handknitted dammit! Im looking at Shelter but wow what a price. Suggestions. Prefer not to look like dead frog.

  36. I missed a few days, and am glad to see you are getting better…..I think that’s what I saw.

    I have to high five you on the Siren Song…I have knitted several of those, and I love what that pattern does to a hank of yarn. It is really special. Good color choice!

  37. I love the way you have with words. “F— you, slippery elm bark tea” made me laugh out loud. I can admit that because I’ve read a more recent entry and know that you’re starting to feel better!

    I hope the despised modern medicine works quickly and that you are both knitting and counting at full speed soon!

  38. I loved the donate to thank you. I so enjoy your blog, don’t get there always – so I just scroll down to catch up. Loved your green shawl and the before and after pictures. I am an informed beginner and love tips like that. I just started blocking a few shawlettes I did a while back, that was a lot of work and amazing how they turned out, I used several different yarns so I could compare. My SIL is a master knitter and I am lucky when I see her she can slap my hands at my sloppiness/etc. Thank you for sharing your work and world with us. From Laughlin NV – hello! And Happy Valentine’s Day.

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