My bad...again!
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Topics should be about experiences, comments, and observations from our members' personal lives.
Topics should be about experiences, comments, and observations from our members' personal lives.
My bad...again!
I've been an R.N. for well over 20 years, and I'm still marveling at how I somehow manage to miss the "little" things, especially when they are so close at hand! My husband has chronic sinusitis, and I've given him Benadryl off and on for years with *some* success, and, on his bad nights, have given him the Alka-Seltzer Plus nighttime formula, also with some success, but I'm still willing to bet that it's been YEARS since he's had an *entire* night's worth of peaceful sleep! Last night, as I was keeping to my night shift schedule even though I was off (old farts like me just CAN'T be flip-flopping our schedules back and forth!), I could hear him snotting, snorting and coughing throughout the night...he woke up this morning, looking more in need of rest than he did when he WENT to bed, and so I decided to try something different today. While I was at our usual pharmacy waiting to pick up our monthly prescription refills, my eyes lighted upon a vaporizer (honestly, I hadn't seen one of THOSE since I was a child and my Mom hauled one out whenever one of us had a cold!) and the proverbial lightbulb went off in my brain...if one of those things worked so well for me when I was a child with a stuffed-up nose, could it not *also* work for a husband with chronic sinus issues? The damn thing was cheap enough that I thought it was worth a try. Anyway, he's been sleeping (quite peacefully, I might add!) for the past couple of hours. Perhaps the extra humidity in the bedroom (along with those soothing Vicks vapors) is doing the trick...we'll see! All I can say is, shame on me for NOT thinking of such a *simple* thing so much earlier than this!!!
"The miracle is this: the more we share, the more we have." -- Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)
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Icey
Re: My bad...again!
Good grief, I hope that works for your husband, C. He must've been a chronic sufferer to've had the problem for so long. My grandad suffered from the same thing, and a vapouriser certainly helped him.
I don't think it's shame on you for not thinking of this earlier. We're all only human, and I think we tend to rush for the most commonly-used things first, i.e. in the form of easily obtainable medication.
Sometimes, sinusitis can be caused by bacteria, so ABs're pretty useless, but then again, they can help in SOME cases. Allergies to moulds and other things can set a person off, but you know, sometimes, the simplest of remedies work, particularly in the case of the old-fashioned sort. It wouldn't surprise me if your husband gained a lot of relief from that vapouriser, so well done you, for suddenly thinking about it. It's often the case. I've been there myself, and then thought: "Tch! Why didn't I think of that sooner?" but we don't.
My niece developed a wart in her hand recently. She'd put some wart remover on it, but it didn't work, so she was going to see her doctor and get an appointment at the "wart clinic" to see if it needed removing by freezing or some other method, or whether it needed a biopsy for further investigation. It suddenly came to me that my grandma, who'd been a firm believer in home remedies'd used cider apple vinegar for something similar. Well even if it hadnt've worked, it certainly wasn't going to do any harm to try, so I put some on some cotton wool, dabbed it liberally over the offensive thing and then stuck a plaster over it. A few days later, the wart was turning black. It alarmed my niece, but I told her that it looked to be drying up. So it did, and now there's no sign of it.
Therefore, fingers crossed that your idea works for your husband. You're not "bad" - you're trying something that may well do the trick.
I don't think it's shame on you for not thinking of this earlier. We're all only human, and I think we tend to rush for the most commonly-used things first, i.e. in the form of easily obtainable medication.
Sometimes, sinusitis can be caused by bacteria, so ABs're pretty useless, but then again, they can help in SOME cases. Allergies to moulds and other things can set a person off, but you know, sometimes, the simplest of remedies work, particularly in the case of the old-fashioned sort. It wouldn't surprise me if your husband gained a lot of relief from that vapouriser, so well done you, for suddenly thinking about it. It's often the case. I've been there myself, and then thought: "Tch! Why didn't I think of that sooner?" but we don't.
My niece developed a wart in her hand recently. She'd put some wart remover on it, but it didn't work, so she was going to see her doctor and get an appointment at the "wart clinic" to see if it needed removing by freezing or some other method, or whether it needed a biopsy for further investigation. It suddenly came to me that my grandma, who'd been a firm believer in home remedies'd used cider apple vinegar for something similar. Well even if it hadnt've worked, it certainly wasn't going to do any harm to try, so I put some on some cotton wool, dabbed it liberally over the offensive thing and then stuck a plaster over it. A few days later, the wart was turning black. It alarmed my niece, but I told her that it looked to be drying up. So it did, and now there's no sign of it.
Therefore, fingers crossed that your idea works for your husband. You're not "bad" - you're trying something that may well do the trick.
Re: My bad...again!
The benefits of humidifiers literally strikes near to home each winter. You would think the drier air during the cold weather would be good for noses, but all that does is make them bleed if the air it too dry. There are built in humidifiers for furnaces, but they typically are one setting for all circumstances which doesn't work well in this house. Thus I have a stand alone humidifier and keep things around 40% humid all winter long. My wife has allergies and suffers more than I do, but the humidity in the air certainly is a comfort and an aid to both of us. I too recall those Vicks Vapo Rub days from my youth and none of those memories are pleasant. It may have worked as intended, but the smell of it is vile to me to this very day.
I empathize with not being able to see the obvious. When you work in an environment where nebulizers are the treatment for lack of breathing capacity, why would the old fashioned vapor machines come to mind?
I empathize with not being able to see the obvious. When you work in an environment where nebulizers are the treatment for lack of breathing capacity, why would the old fashioned vapor machines come to mind?
Re: My bad...again!
I had to giggle when I saw that you find the smell of the Vapo Rub to be vile, Dennis. I find it to be comforting. Not only is the Vapo Rub a staple from my childhood, but also from my days in nursing school (WAY back in "ancient" times). We nurses often have smelly issues to be dealing with...either a Code Brown, a necrotic wound that one has to dress, a colostomy bag that needs changing, etc. One of my clinical instructors, way back in the day, taught me the trick of rubbing some Vicks right under my nose before dealing with such smelly tasks, and it's been invaluable to me! The smell of the Vapo Rub almost completely masks ANY offensive smell that we might be dealing with, enabling us to tend to such tasks with a smile on the face, thus helping us to preserve patient dignity...and trust me, I am never, to this day, without a container of Vick's Vapo Rub in one of my scrub pockets. I've taught many nursing "newbies" that little trick, myself!
"The miracle is this: the more we share, the more we have." -- Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)
Re: My bad...again!
There should be a Helpful Hint column somewhere with brilliant work arounds such as the one you have for dealing with stink. I would have to say that in theory it's brilliant because I certainly can see how VVR would overpower any imaginable odor on this planet. Kids are funny and don't like a lot of things that are good for them. For me breathing in menthol fumes ranks right up there with taking Alka-seltzer in any form. The aversion I have to that product stems from being forced to take fever powder concoctions as a youngster. I'm not sure they even make that stuff any more, but it was a spoonful of something that tastes just like an Alka-seltzer tablet. I shiver just thinking about it.
Re: My bad...again!
I also can't stand the vic's stuff. my eyes water just thinking about it....