In. Out. In. Out. Unless you have asthma or COPD or suchlike, no one thinks about breathing. There are no sonnets devoted to the constant work your body does to bring you oxygen. Oh sure, the heart and stomach get plenty of attention, but the respiratory system, not so much. Nobody gives breathing a second thought.
Until they get a sinus cold.
On the first day, when things were getting drippy but I didn't feel too crummy yet, I walked into the conference room with a box of tissues. I sat at one end of the table, the other attendees lined up on the other. "Unclean, unclean," I called, as the bible proscribes. No one was amused.
Yes, I realize you're not supposed to go to work when you're not feeling well. But half of the people there have either the respiratory thing or the stomach thing. The other half have already had one or both. And the creeping crud lasts a week or more. Plus, I took one day off to help with the recovery, but the process is slow.
And the worst part is, you have to breathe through your mouth. The nose is totally out of commission, first because it's a faucet, then because the sinus passages are swollen and nothing is getting in or out. Cold medicine might work for, like, five minutes. Vicks Vapo Rub helps a little. (This was my mom's go-to back in the day.) Halls cough drops are somewhat helpful. Tea soothes. But mostly, it's just a matter of time. In about a week, if one is lucky, one is once again able to smell the good, the bad and the ugly.
And you think, "Wow, I'll never take breathing for granted again." That's the stage where I am now. I walk into the brisk outdoor air, close my eyes, get a snootful and think it's grand.
I know it won't last. In another week, I'll be doing the air-in, air-out thing without a second thought.
But before I become blasé, I'd just like to send up a big "thank you" to the heavens above for the ability to breathe freely.
It's a real treat.
Hey, what's that smell, spray some Glade, would you?
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