Seasonal sickness?

Maybe it's the "hippy atmosphere" of Eugene getting to me, but I'm starting to get to the point where I'd rather rely on herbs and Mother Nature to heal me rather than a bottle of pills. Granted, this attitude of mine could stem from the fact that I grew up with a father who leaned heavily on using herbs and plants for his health. and who often apprised me of what they were for. But I have been known to rely on modern medicine for a great many things, especially when it came to the reconstructive surgeries I had following the car accident I received my burns from.

Lately, though, I'm reshaping my attitude, and starting to look more towards traditional, nonmedical methods for maintaining health and well-being. And if I can't avoid using modern medicines altogether, I am at least being sparse with it. I remember being told if you use too much of a medicine, your body builds up an immunity to it. So this is partly why I am being sparse. This is also why I refuse to take something like Tylenol or Motrin when I have a headache or something. I don't take it until it's a last resort!

I have been sick since Friday. I don't know WHAT I am sick with, but it's something I have tried to ride out for as long as I can. I have had fever, nausea, sore throat, pain in my head and stomach, chills, runny/stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, coughing up phlegm, body aches and general disorientation. I've tried to rest as much as possible. I've been taking a lot of Vitamin C and drinking a lot of water. I'm avoiding caffeine whenever possible and drinking 7Up. I've also had green tea and eating more fruits/vegetables.

I was chatting with my nephew the other day. He is sick, too. So are most of the people at my mom's house (there are 9 people living there). We wondered if we're all getting sick because the seasons are changing. That's an interesting thought. I later learned that a whole host of other people are sick, too. I mean, I visited sites and people were posting messages to each other about being sick. When we went to urgent care for my daughter last night, the place was packed. A whole lot of other people were sick, too. Some worse than me.

I know rest is important in getting better, but it's hard to rest when you're a mom. My little one is sick, too, though. She has an ear infection. So I suppose when she rests, I'll be resting, too. She is on antibiotics, though. I know she needs them to fight off her infection.

As for me, I'll admit that I DID cave in to something. Last night, I got some NyQuil. I DESPERATELY needed to get a good night's rest, so that's why I got it. Otherwise, when I'm in bed trying to sleep, I won't be able to breathe or even feel comfortable enough to sleep. But, that's the only thing I am using. During the day, I can pretty much cope with it. I mean, I DO get frustrated my body aches are so bad that I can't even lift a basket of laundry. But I know that this, like everything, will pass. And I just need to ride it out.