The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Thursday, November 17, 2011

Sickness is like a disease, you know?


It's a cold. I don't know why they call it a cold, I don't feel very cold. I feel like a mental fog has enveloped my brain. I get these now and then, no more than one or two a year, spaced just far enough apart to make each one a surprise. I'd prefer my surprises to be pleasant ones.

It started Monday afternoon. After I had played golf. The sore, scratchy throat first. Followed by a mild headache. And a slight stuffiness in my sinuses. All of my illnesses affect my sinuses, it seems. This one has been no different. My main weapon against things like this is Alka-Seltzer. Not the plain old "plop, plop, fizz, fizz" blah tasting hangover remedy but the new blah tasting ones that are supposed to alleviate the symptoms of colds and influenzas. They do... somewhat. At least they make the symptoms more tolerable.

I am one of those people who would rather suffer through a cold or flu on my own than have people fawn over me. Not that I am opposed to the fawning, it's just ingrained in me to be irascible when sick. It's probably genetic, my father was the same way. We would rather be martyrs, suffering alone... which is contradicted by the fact that we make sure everyone knows we are sick. No point in suffering if no one knows you are.

Our bodies are home to thousands of bacteria and, I suppose, lots of viruses also. Nobody mentioned those in biology class, though. There's a delicate balance most of the time between the good and the bad. When we get sick, it's because the balance is upset in some way. At least, that's the way I see it. I could be entirely wrong. It doesn't matter, there is no cure for this; what they call the common cold. They know that it is a virus. They know it is temporary and that, eventually, the body defeats it.

You can take medicines to ease the symptoms and help you function (during which you can spread it to colleagues, friends, and family) and it will take about 7 days to get over. Or you can do nothing at all and it will last about a week.

I have 5 more days to go.

2 comments:

The Jules said...

Good luck. You have my particular sympathies if it turns out to be man-flu or, even worse, manthrax!

Thechubbychatterbox said...

I hate it when my body decides to fight the cold for three or four days before the virus kicks in full force. What's the old saying: three days coming, three days here, and three days going. I want my body to surrender immediately so it will all be over more quickly. Like you, I don't want to be fussed over when I'm under the weather. Just let me die in peace. My wife needs to have her pillow fluffed and her bendy straw changed constantly. And the correct temperature is not to be found on the thermostat when my honey is sick...