For Medicinal Purposes

You would think that by the time you've reached your sixties that you would have been vaccinated or developed an immunity to every germ and bug known to man. Unfortunately this is not the case. You're probably a bit more susceptible to some of them. And if you do get sick, it can take you longer to recover than if you were in your forties. The worst culprits for spreading germs and disease?? That's right - grandchildren.

It finally occurred to me to stop visiting my grandchildren the week before we were scheduled to fly anywhere. When I did visit, I found that I increased the likelihood of a flight plagued by congestion, aches and pains. But now that we have grandchildren on the other side of the pond, what's a grandparent to do?

This trip, within two days of initial contact with the little darlings, I was sneezing. (It wasn't nearly so bad as when we all caught the Norovirus.) Of course, the over-the-counter brands that I'm familiar with here in Texas aren't available in England. Plus being on blood pressure meds makes it more challenging. We found a capsule that was okay for people taking blood pressure meds and although it didn't mention anything about taking it with food, I soon found out that food was more than just a good idea. In my case, it was essential. But even when I took it with food, the food seemed to wear off before the drug did and I felt nauseous until I ate something. I know!! Cookies and potato chips for medicinal purposes! Who'd have thought it possible?

I asked Mark to go to the pharmacist (or chemist, as they are known in England) to see if they had something that might be a little gentler and last longer than four hours. Unfortunately, the chemist was busy and he had to speak to the assistant who informed him that NOTHING was available for people who took blood pressure medication. This guy is a complete idiot who should never be licensed to dispense drugs. He probably shouldn't work in any profession that requires interaction with the general public. Fortunately, the sneezing and congestion was short lived and I moved on to a sore throat and cough. Lozenges. Easy. No eucalyptus. Strawberry was fine.

We took our leave of the grandchildren and spent the weekend in Wales where I found I no longer needed the decongestants and rarely needed the lozenges. By the time we got back home to Texas, I was pretty much over all of it. I still have a slight pain in the back of my neck. If I take anything for it, my stomach gets upset. But it's okay. I have some Girl Scout Cookies.  For medicinal purposes.