Tuesday 27 March 2007

In Sickness and In Health..

Yes! That was it! The marriage vows or whatever. of course in our case it was some mumble jumble in front of a smoky fire. I had to sit and be demure. The groom gets to say everything. For all anyone knows the bride can be dumb and still everything will go smoothly.

Although at that time I was bursting with speech and all that, here I am today, completely unable to speak. Struck dumb, you can say. Something has occurred inside the throat. Feels like a lump. I have some -itis as far as I can tell from google search - Tonsilitis, Laryngitis or some such. I have put off meeting with the doctor out of general lethargy. He is going to give antibiotics, multi-vitamins, ask me to drink warm fluids, stay off oily and spicy things, gargle in luke-warm salt water, and take rest. So, there, without even a proper diagnosis, I know the treatment. And its not as if doctors diagnose any more. They sit on the fence, it could be this, it could be that. Just in case here is a course of broad spectrum medications that will kill whatever it is, with stomach lining being the collateral damage.

Anyhow its nice to not talk for a few days. Although I had hell explaining to the auto driver (car having chosen this particular day to be at the service center, of its own volition and free will), and am about this close to losing it with the child who insists that I not only read her a few hundred books but read it loudly and not in a hoarse whisper, its all good. Gives me a legitimate excuse to drink lots of tea and update blog instead of working. So I am not complaining.

For the record, here are the various remedies recommended by all that I meet:
1. Hot milk with turmeric, pepper powder and sugar (winner with max. points)
2. Warm salt water gargle
3. Honey in grape juice
4. Sage infusion gargle
Sage is a silvery-green plant with leaves that offer a memorable fragrant.
(from here. Blame them for the weird English)
5. Vicks drops - ten per day

I hate the idea of milk because in my opinion it increases phlegm. Likewise grape juice which is citrus and generally not on when colds and so on are around. I am trying the other three also with limited success. Sage only because its mum's reco on it.

So till later,
The Hoarse Whisperer

Update: Dragged myself to doc after a quick call to husband to assure him that I was dying. Doctor said to:
(a) Sip Warm Liquids such as Clear Soups, Rasam, Tea, Coffee, Protinex
(b) Gargle with some shady petrol-like fluid in a bottle
(c) Eat Antibiotics starting with the letter Z
(d) Take Multivitamins
(e) Do steam inhalation
He said it was a pleasure to meet me, and wished it was in circumstances when I felt better. Was he coming on to me? Tough to say. Nevertheless he did not make a diagnosis, except to mention in passing that my blood pressure was low.

Still Hoarse.

7 comments:

Ludwig said...

hoarsy,

#6 single malt
#7 martini(s)
#8 beeru

also, you really shouldn't be copy-pasting stuff from a website that calls itself NutrasAnus. someone might see..

avuuv: said the child when she heard momma's hoarse whisper say, "Once upon a time..."

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

yes yes i knew you would figure that websites other specialities, other than good Queen's english that is. of the one dozen websites i found i specially selected that for you.

in my youth i might have proposed Ginger Flavoured Brandy, which is really effective, but now I am a resposible middle-aged person. so...

SrgntPepper said...

caught in quandary. i want to side by ludwig. however, i fancy myself as to be as good as any doctor for such afflictions, and your come hither doc seems to have gotten it mostly right. i'd have recommended an antibiotic containing letter x (gatifloxacin) with money back guarantee that you be chugging ludwig's recommendations by the weekend. and by olympus, so you shall.

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

leddies & gentlesmen-
whatever was in that Z antibiotic seems to be working. I can hear myself speak. Nowhere close to usual gun-throatedness but I could read the whole Monsters who were hungry story, plus the Mixed-Up Chameleon and be alive after that. Took lots of walks as usual through the day and did not faint. One may say I have survived this one.
csm had recommended 'some yoga things' which might be worth a try now that i am almost fine (still coughing a bit).
my mom has insisted that i increase food intake.
husband says eat fruit.
SrgntPepper and Ludwig are recommending something that is far more palatable but far less practical.
cheerfully yours,
Kenny (BunkPortMaine)

csm said...

will yourself to believe that you are ok and you will be.

meditation will also help with the low BP thing.

l's recos 6 and 7 are also top notch. did wonders to my pal who was in the same situation.

google will do well to get the antibiotics as their word verfication. good practice.

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

csm- thanks a heap! i willed myself to believe that the lump in my throat was not there for several days. went about my business, went to the gym, woke up at 5:30, walked all over the place and all that. but the body could not take it.
anyway, i am now almost there, strong..now with the side assistance from antibios i am ready to will it away.
go..go..bacteria/virus/mutant creature..DIE YOU SUCKER!

Meanwhile this is to all those people in the world who recommend meditation as panacea and ambrosia-
(1) Find a child, preferably <5 years old
(2) Live with it, be its mother
(3) Talk to me then about meditation.
HMPH!

csm said...

get the child also into it.
bingo.

at least you will not scream at earless micro-organisms.