got a cold?

I do. Again (just got over my last one, so i guess it was time for a new one~sometimes it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins...) Last week while driving to work i was listening to a story on NPR and whether or not Airborne® was really effective in keeping people from getting colds (or making them go away faster, or whatever). According to the NPR story Airborne® results are unproven at best, but people still swear by it (the first time i took it my cold did go away much faster than normal but it hasn't done much since though i still faithfully take it and now that they have come out with their Airborne® Nightime formula which has lemon balm, chamomile, and Valerian which supposedly helps you sleep and helps migraines i've added that to my regime and that seems to work little quicker/better than the tea~plus both formulas have ginger~good for stomach problems so i'll keep them for whatever they may be worth) Anyway, at the end of her report the commentator said "No matter what, if you've got a cold, you'll be feeling better soon," in a nice, reassuring tone.

Which elicited a huge, sarcastic "Ha" from me. Because that just is not my experience. My friend was telling me about another co-worker of ours who had gone into her doctor after her cold symptoms had gone on for much too long and the doctor discovered a sinus infection, he then informed her that a cold should never last more than two weeks. My colds usually last the entire season (i have my winter cold, my summer cold, my fall cold, my summer cold... well maybe not entirely but it seems that way between the year round allergies and all..) And i do go into the doctor and i am usually told this is a virus that will eventually pass, and it usually does pass, into the next virus, luckily i usually don't get sinus infections, sometimes i get lung infections but they are not too serious.

That's the thing, i can't decide if i have a weak immune system because i get every virus that comes within a 200 foot radius of me, or a strong immune system because my body seems to fight them all off without coming down with anything TOO serious (little trooper that immune system of mine~maybe we should send it off to Iraq to kick some ass {NOT}~or send it to some other place that will be sorely in need of troops once they are depleted due to our dear commander in chief's ill-conceived plans~but i need it too badly myself). Once upon a time, when i was working in The Pizza Joint, i would have sympathetic customers inquire at my sniffles if i had a cold, and my manager would burst into (not unsympathetic) laughter "like when DOESN'T she have a cold?"

I used to say i would die with a cold. Not OF a cold, mind you, but WITH a cold.

Now, i do do, perhaps unwise things, like going out into the cold without a coat (but often with big sweaters~i was raised in Alaska after all) and when you have naturally curly hair that you can't go near with a blow dryer or a brush (just very large tooth combs) and it takes at least eight hours to air dry (it is very sponge-like don't you know) which makes it quite difficult to go out without slightly damp hair, but i often try to keep it covered at least. But that is just all old wives tales, right? Or, maybe not...

Salud.