Tag Archives: unwell

Nostalgic Medicine featuring the Care Bears

Posted in General by

Anyone who knows me even a little knows that I have a pretty rubbish immune system. I’ve blogged about being sick before. Bascially, winter has felt like one long plague season and I have largely forgotten what it’s like to wake up in the morning and feel well. 

cameron

When I was a kid there was one rule whenever I felt unwell. That rule stipulated that the only thing that could possibly make me feel better was watching The Care Bears Movie. If you don’t know it, it’s a fairly terrible animated movie from 1985 in which the Care Bears befriend some lonely orphans and help a magician’s assistant break away from the spell of an evil spirit. Mickey Rooney does one of the voices. The Care Bears use their Rainbow Rescue Beam and discover the Care Bear Cousins. Carole King sings the theme song. Care-a-Lot is a place we all can go, you guys. If you don’t know where it is, look inside your heart.

bears2

Seriously – it’s vomitous.

I’m not sure exactly what restorative powers I imagined the movie possessed, especially given the sheer force of its rot-your-teeth-while-you-watch sweetness. The very mention of the movie these days I am sure causes my mother an involuntary eye twitch from many a night spent with a sick child and the movie on an apparently endless loop (Hi Ma! I’m feeling much better, no need to bring soup x). But I stood by my own questionable medical remedy for years and it’s entirely possible that The Care Bears Movie is burned into my memory in a way no other movie will be.

Yes. I still have a Care Bear. (For my health).

Yes. I still have a Care Bear. (For my health).

This winter, as I negotiate my wellspring of immunity failings, I can think of nothing I rely on with such determination as a sick adult except medically sound though wholly uninteresting things like paracetamol, vitamin C, and aloe vera tissues. And though I worry it may make cynical, adult me want to stab my own eyes out with my Vicks inhaler, I am very tempted to track down a copy of The Care Bears Movie in readiness for next time, just in case.

‘Til next time,

Sig

Week 8, in sickness and health

Posted in General by

As you may have gathered from my last post, I spent a considerable portion of last week in less than tip top condition. It turns out weeks of being run down, stressed out, and sleep deprived will cause your immune system to finally buckle. And buckle she did. So much so, in fact, that a full week since feeling the first twinges, I am still exhausted after minimal exertion, am surviving primarily on antibiotics and soup, and have the most nasal voice in town.

In the ‘happy days’ stakes, then, there wasn’t a whole lot happening. It was all about the small things:

  • home made soup provided by parents;
  • aloe vera tissues;
  • comfortable pillows;
  • cuddly cat; and
  • sleep.
I admit that medication might have made this picture seem more amusing than it is. But at the same time... CAT ANTLERS.

I admit that medication might have made this picture seem more amusing than it is. But at the same time… CAT ANTLERS.

Things are on the up, though, because I can sort of sporadically breathe again. I also got to spend time outside of the house with some of my favourite people at quiz night last night (we lost) and NSO-ing at interleague scrimmage today. All in all, I’m starting to feel a bit more human again, which is actually really nice. I have a few things on the agenda for the coming week too, which should make for more interesting times.

‘Til next time,

Sig

Cabin Fever

Posted in General by

Eight newly discovered facts about being sick when you live alone:

  • Your parents will, endearingly, assume you are dying.
  • If you don’t wash your hair for four days, no one will care that you look like a demon. This is equal parts liberating and depressing.
  • You will be torn between wanting company and not wanting to have exhausting in-person conversations.
  • Perhaps more importantly, you will also be torn between needing to go to the shop for more tissues / soup and feeling physically unable to move from the couch.
  • It’s time to worry when you find yourself watching back-to-back episodes of Bonanza just because it’s on and you can’t find the remote (Channel 44, if you were wondering).
  • Napping is the pastime of the Gods.
  • The fear of choking to death on phlegm and not being found for a while becomes a genuine concern.
  • There is a limit to the number of episodes of 30 Rock you can watch in a day. That number is high, but it’s there.

Look after your health, people. Being sick is the worst.

‘Til next time,

Sig