From Dessert to Main Course

Ok, so I've been struggling with a sinus infection since Tuesday of last week.  It's a first for me.  I think this comes from all the crazy allergy problems I've had this season--I think they are getting worse each year.  I've had allergy problems in the past, but it's usually just for a day or two.  For some reason, this season it's been nonstop for several weeks!  Ugh!  Can't. Breath.

Well, as I said, I came down with a lovely sinus infection last week.  (Not to worry--I went to see a doctor yesterday--well, a nurse practitioner, really.  She was awesome--I don't care what letters follow her name.  She prescribed some meds, and hopefully I'm on my way to recovery!)

My mom is really into this natural Essential Oil stuff.  Which is great, I guess.  Some people swear by it.  She has four different oils that she's making me use:  Thieves, Lavender, Peppermint, and Ravensara.  I have no idea what they are supposed to do, but I do know they make me smell like a spice cake.  And I told her so.  She didn't laugh.

I thought it was funny.

The other day I was walking out the door of her house and she yelled.  Like the good daughter that I am, I stopped and came back in to make sure she wasn't hurt.  As she's pulling something out of a drawer in the kitchen (insert my mental "Uh-oh" here), she says, "Oh, NIKI!  I WISH I would have remembered this sooner!  Take this (she starts walking towards me with something that looks suspiciously like a spice jar).  Fill your bathtub with water as HOT as you can possibly stand it, and put all of this in it and soak until the water cools.  Then put MORE hot water in and keep soaking until it cools again.  It will help draw it (I can only assume she meant my sinus infection) out."

I looked down and she's holding a jar of. . . GINGER?  "You want me to soak in a bath of GINGER WATER?  Great, so I'll go from smelling like spice cake to smelling like SOUP!"

My actual thoughts:  I officially graduated from desert to main course.  Excellent.  Why did I have to be a good daughter?  I should have kept walking out the door.  For crying out loud. . .GINGER?  Like that's going to work.  Bah.  This smell had better not stick to me!


Mom:  "Don't worry!  The smell won't stick to you.  Just take a shower after your bath."

I will say this for the ginger bath:  it smelled good, even though I don't particularly want to smell LIKE ginger.  And I was able to breath a little easier for the rest of the night.  Although, that could have just been b/c I was breathing in steam for an hour.

Disclaimer:  I do love and respect my mother.  She is a brilliant, wonderful, Godly woman.  I'm just not as convinced as she is about home remedies and "essential oils."  Give me antibiotics and antihistamines.  I feel great, today!  (That's the antihistamine talking, FYI.  I feel light as a feather!)

The only problem I have with taking the antihistamine:  I don't think the side affects are very conducive to working.  Sometimes my arms don't want to move.  Is that normal?  I sure hope this wears off before 5 so I can drive home!  I'd prefer sleeping in my bed over sleeping under my desk tonight.   Wait a second. . . Why does that sound like a good idea right now?