{{{{GC, GF, and GF's mom & dad}}}} Hard road all around. I'm sorry, hon.

Did the apocalypse come and no one told me? There are no customers bothering us at the moment. Of course, I've just cursed us with double digit queues and triple-digit wait times, I'm sure.

Personally, I think the most important thing is for people to be educated about what individual cold meds actually do, so you can treat the symptoms that are actually bothering you.

This is especially true for coughs, where usually you want either the suppressant or the expectorant, not both.

On the cold remedy - these days I fix myself hot herbal tea with lemon and honey and gargle with salt water when I have a sore throat. I can't take most OTC medications, so that's about all I can do. I can and do take Mucinex - it helps keep me from getting a sinus infection.

I recently tried the two cloves of crushed garlic thing, taken in something like applesauce or a liquid. (If you don't chew it, you don't get garlic breath). That seemed to really keep symtoms away on the days I needed it during my long spell of ick.

Thanks, guys. I've moved from raging to depressed, which I guess is a little better.

Vortex, ~ma to you.

This is especially true for coughs, where usually you want either the suppressant or the expectorant, not both.

I think that depends on the expectorant, actually.

Mucinex DM is the two together.

The guai still thins and loosens the mucus even though the dextromethorphan keeps you from coughing it out.

Isn't Vortex Easter timezone? If she's still not out things went well?

I'm frantically taking notes on all of this since Matilda is currently nearly crushed beneath an epic ick and I'm trying to just plow through as much work as possible now so I can scoop her up from day care and keep her home for the afternoon. The snotmonster from hell has taken up residence in her sinuses and her eyes are all infected and goopy -- almost pasted shut every morning, and red-rimmed and puffy all day.

The worst of it is that she's as good-natured and cheerful as ever; David pointed out last night, as she sat in the bath burbling and splashing happily with her sad little red crusty eyes and red crusty nose, that there's almost nothing quite so poignant as a really cheerful sick baby. She's all Tiny Tim and Little Nell and Carol Bird wrapped up in a little koala-bear-sized bundle, which is probably much easier on us than if she were rageful and weepy about feeling so crummy, but it's just an extra dose of heart-rending. All for a stupid old goopy cold.

GC, you and your GF should absolutely, absolutely report them to the BBB.

Ugh, I am also having A Day at work.

{{{Nora}}}

Something that usually helps my sinus headaches - warm to hot compresses on my forehead or standing under a hot shower with the water running down my face.