Ladies of a Certain Age ~ for those invisible powerful, dynamic, vital women

I was so looking forward to today because my hiking group was going to trek the Palisade Rim Trail, a rocky path hugging a mountain about one thousand feet above Palisade, Colorado.  It offers incredible views of this picturesque village, the Grand Valley, Colorado River and profuse fruit orchards including peach trees dressed in their finest pink blooms. The ancient inhabitants of this bountiful valley obviously loved this trail too and recorded their lives and adventures with pictographs.

Instead, I woke up at 1 p.m. with a coughing attack that almost propelled me to the bathroom to vomit! Yuk!

So, why, dear reader, am I exposing you to this detestable tale?  Well, probably like me, you know about seasonal allergies, hay fever, and the havoc they can hurl on life.  I feel it is grossly unfair that these fiends strike at my favorite time of year.  Further their potency it seems increases as their victims’ age.  I pushed through them when my children were home and when I went to an office every day. That action would not have been wise now.

Hiking the Palisade Rim Trail, particularly amongst the high winds we had, could have easily landed me in the hospital with pneumonia.  The pollen would have been shoved in every crevice of my lungs.  At this age, I do not heal as fast as I used to, and I am more prone to complications.  Living alone, like many ladies-of-a-certain-age, has its drawbacks when I am sick.  My beloved dog and cat “can’t run to the store” to get me items – like lotion tissue, 7-Up or canned soup.

So the question is how to handle this little “joy” (sic) in life without going berserk?  I know from experience that if I don’t take care of myself with this annoying difficulty, it will only get worse.  So, what a lucky lady-of-a-certain-age I am: I spent the whole day in my pajamas and took a nap!  I can’t remember the last time I did that.

I rifled through my memory about remedies for this malady.  I’ve been fortunate and have not had to deal with this for several years. The symptoms include: coughing, headache, runny nose, achy teeth, acid reflux, low energy, chills and little appetite.

Here’s the list of helps I have used over the years. All of them bring some comfort; but, none really cure this illness.    I hope they will be useful to you, too:

1. Save your bucks – there’s no need to go to the doctor unless the symptoms are acute. Antibiotics and opioids don’t work on this stuff. I was so pleased that a well-known allergist in our community recommended washing your clothes, and hair and bedding frequently to get rid of the offense material.  He also said over-the-counter medications work just fine. When I was working, I used to get to my office and pop an antihistamine.  Around noon, I did the same thing.  Before going to bed, I took another.  Although I did not drip and cough and water a lot, my thinking wasn’t real sharp, and I felt “drugged.” Today, I only take one of these pills “when I just can’t stand it anymore,” and I am not going to be driving. They affect me greatly, and I don’t think they are particularly good for my health.

2. Be prepared – stock your cabinet. I try and keep the following on hand: Tissue with lotion, canned soup, 7-Up, antihistamines, organic apple cider vinegar, ginger, sage and elderberry for tea, aspirin, coconut oil and an assortment of essential oils, including lavender, peppermint, and, ravensara, which helps to reduce phlegm. Gargling with the vinegar seems to give a deep cleanse to the throat and soothes it.  The tea seems to calm the stomach and helps clear out the system. I use the coconut oil several ways: first, to help with acid reflux I add a drop or two of the peppermint oil and then swallow it; second, to bring the healing power of the herbs in the essential oils to my body, I add a few drops of oils to a gob of coconut oil and then run that over my feet – my that feels good – because the quickest way to get this healing balm in the body is through the feet; and third, I use coconut oil on my poor chafed nose and lips.  I add a few drops of ravensara to a tissue or cotton ball and breathe in the aroma, which helps with either a stuffy or runny nose.
3. Stay away from smokers – cigarettes, pot, whatever. Nothing increases the symptoms of this disease more than smoke!
4. Double up on pillows. I increase the elevation of my head to decease acid reflux and phlegm.
5. Yoga poses and breathing exercises work! I admit this yogini was skeptical; but, I tried both the poses and breathing techniques and got almost immediate relief.
6. Oatmeal, ice cream and whiskey are wonderful! Earlier this year, I learned how to make oatmeal the night before so that you could just heat it in the microwave the next morning. Warm oatmeal really soothes the tummy and soul.  Experts say stay away from dairy products.  Well, I have found there is nothing like several spoonfuls of ice cream to placate a sore throat.  When I was a kid, my dad would give me whiskey and honey because back then we did not have the pills we have now.  Several years ago in Ireland, I and another lady got sick with this stuff.  They gave us whisky and honey.  I can tell you whisky soothes the tummy and soul.  I believe it is probably less harmful than many of the medications we have today.
7. Once the symptoms subside, I slowly go back to my normal routine. I’ve learned my grandpa was so wise in so many ways when he said, “Slow, but steady.”

Copyright – Elizabeth J. Wheeler, April 12, 2018