Self Reliance... A Good Thing, Indeed

David came back from his last working week in Auckland with a little something for me. 

A really nasty bug - thanks honey!  He began with a cough, then branched out into sneezing and ended up full of mucus, and of course within a week I started to come down with it too.  It sort of sneaks up on you, you think you’re just going to have a bit of a sniffle but the crescendo builds slowly to a fully fledged, “can’t get out of bed, don’t talk to me it hurts” horror.  Naturally I was at my worst when it was time for him to head back up to Auckland, whilst he had the benefit of my loving care during the peak of his spell.  Predictable.

Most people would have been off to the doc’s for a hefty dose of antibiotics.  But not being most people, I prefer to cope without them where possible.  There are several things you can do for yourself when you know you’ve developed an infection – the presence of discoloured (green, brown, reddish) mucus being the indicator without a doubt.  I employ all of them.  First mix the juice of an onion with 2 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of honey, and the juice of a lemon.  Gently warm it on the stove, and sip over 4 hours.  I’ve found this ALONE so powerful that it wipes out an infection within 12 hours.  Antibiotics won’t do that.  It has never failed for me.  Next, the good old salt gargle.  You know how you can kill weeds with a salt spray?  Well, it does the same to the nasties in your throat, tonsils and upper respiratory tract.  Just don’t swallow.  And last but not least, a few drops of Eucalyptus oil in some very hot water in a bowl and a tea towel over your head to make a tent and INHALE.  Makes you cough a bit, but take those vapours right on down to your lungs where they will work wonders decongesting.   At all times drink a shed-load of water… keeping those fluids up is vital.  Yes - you will have to get up a thousand times a night to pee, just accept it!

The other thing you can do to help yourself is move.  Tempting as it is to retreat to bed for days, I allow myself ONE day only.  After that it’s up and about even if I stay in my pj’s and dressing gown.  The trick is judging which is going to be the worst day, and using your Stay In Bed Card accordingly. 
I managed to get my remedies underway before Dave left, and had no trace of infection the morning after drinking my onion juice concoction.  The day before I had been spitting up green muck tinged with blood. 

But I was too woolly headed and weak to make the two hour round drive to the airport, meaning he has had to take the car, leaving it in the long stay car park down there.  So I am on foot this week.  Just as well I’m coming right!  After 8 days without my morning walk, I finally felt well enough yesterday to head out.  Wrapping up well in layers of merino I headed out, and although my legs felt a bit weak still, I really enjoyed being outdoors, and in particular the rural stretch of my walk, noticing how the leaves have really started to turn gold since my last time.  Today I did the walk in a much quicker time – shaving 15 mins off easily, and I felt much better.  I called in at the grocery store and bought some eggs and milk, and posted a couple of letters.  If I really needed them, the doctors rooms are a five minute walk up the road too.  And the chemist, a ten minute walk the other way.   All very doable.

Cooking is easy when you really only need some protein to build you up – watch that dairy, if you have a cold – avoid, avoid, avoid!  The first few days I had scrambled eggs for dinner, soft and soothing going down that poor, inflamed throat.  Yesterday I cooked a fillet steak which I had marinated all day in a mixture of garlic (another super star) homemade plum sauce (also full of garlic – just as well I am on my own!) and some low-sodium organic tamari.  All I had with it was some gently steamed broccoli.  Gorgeous.  For tonight, I have pulled a chicken casserole out of the freezer – leftovers from a few weeks ago when I cooked up a big feed using chicken breast and chick peas with bacon, red onions and capsicum, tomatoes and of course, more garlic!  I am so much better already, that by the time Dave arrives home he won’t believe I was particularly sick!  Ah well!

Living alone, even if just for a week at a stretch will teach you self reliance – if you let it.  No stock piling up all those little jobs to hand over when your significant other is home.  Fix that table that has a dodgy leg, change the blown light bulb, get the wood in from the shed, change the washer on the leaking tap.  Unless you literally don’t have the strength for a task, consider them gender-neutral.  Don’t be my mother-in-law who doesn’t even know how to put petrol in their car.  In many ways, I see myself as being lucky to have lived alone for years on the farm where you soon learn to have a go at whatever needs doing – and that’s quite a bit on a rural property especially where there’s livestock involved.  Yes, I have many times blessed my farmer neighbour, Kev, for his assistance when a job is too tough – but many other times I have coped by myself and am stronger for it. 

A car-less week and a chest infection?  Pfffffffft!  Walk in the park...