A Newlyweds Guide to Cold Season
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I am not a medical professional and am not giving out medical advice. If you or your spouse are experiencing a serious illness, seek medical help immediately!
I remember the first cold Dustin got after we got married so vividly, I could make a movie out of it. He got hit with some sniffles one evening and woke up the next morning barely able to move. He was rolling around, moaning and groaning and saying that everything hurt. As a new wife, I completely panicked. My morning was spent flapping around like a headless chicken, trying to figure out what to do and how to help him.
Should I look in his throat to see if it’s red? How do I know what’s red and what’s RED?! Did I need to take his temperature? Yes, okay, that’d be a good idea. Do we have a thermometer? Nope, not at all. We just got married, the last thing on my mind to buy with our wedding money was a thermometer! Okay, I’ll go feel his forehead. Is he warm? I don’t know! What’s considered warm? Do I need to take him to the doctor? Why is he moaning so much? Where’s my mom? I NEED TO CALL MY MOM!
By the time I finally got ahold of my mom, I was so worked up; I was convinced Dustin had strep throat AND pneumonia and was going to be hospitalized (I know, I was taking crazy pills.) Thank goodness for my mama bear, who calmed me down, told me I was being insane and walked me through getting my husband through his first cold.
Now, with almost 3 years of marriage under our belts, I feel like I have a bit of a grasp on how to help my husband combat his sniffles and not have a complete panic attack when he starts moaning and groaning about his sore throat. In fact, we unfortunately started off our new year with Dustin getting a killer sore throat and cold! So, I present my Newlyweds Guide to Cold Season!
1. Be Proactive when Cold Season Approaches
As cold season gets closer and closer, I do everything I can to bolster up Dustin’s immune system. I stock the fridge with lots of juice and send him to work every day with a mandarine to get some extra vitamin C in him. If I had it my way, he’d be using hand sanitizer, too, but he hates the stuff and I’ve learned to pick and choose my battles.
2. Have Cold Medicine and Cough Drops on hand.
We have a cold medicine box under our sink filled to the brim with all kinds of cough medicines, nasal decongestants, throat spray, cough drops and yes, a thermometer! The second Dustin starts to complain about something not feeling right, I immediately pull out the cold box and start sifting through the medicines to get ahead of the symptoms. If I can keep the worst of it at bay, then he feels better and I don’t panic because he doesn’t complain as much!
3. Keep Soothing Tea in the Pantry at all times.
Staying hydrated is one of the most important things to do when feeling under the weather and that can be tricky if there is a SUPER sore throat involved. One of the only things Dustin will drink when he is sick and has a bad sore throat is tea, specifically Lemon Lift or Lemon Ginger from Bigelow tea. Tea was one of the first things my mom suggested to me when she was talking me through Dustin’s first cold and it’s been one of the first things I reach for when he starts getting sick. It’s soothing on his throat, helps cut down the gunk and gives him a bit of his voice back. The Lemon Ginger flavor has probiotics in it, which I love because it gives his tummy an extra little hug while it struggles with being sick.
Last week when Dustin was sick and had lost his voice, he brought packets of Bigelow’s Lemon Lift and Lemon Ginger to work and drank it all day long so he could answer the phones! And since I buy a box of it every few trips to Walmart, we never run out!
4. Encourage Videogaming and Lots of Rest
Dustin and I have some rules in our home about what times are appropriate to play video games or binge-watch Netflix. We work really hard to make sure we can enjoy those things on our own (Dustin loves his games and I love my Netflix) but we’ve also seen how it can drive a wedge in our marriage when not managed properly. There’s a time and place for us to do our own things, and there is a time limit ON those types of activities.
For example, Sundays are OUR day and we spend it watching football together and taking Rosie for walks. Dustin only turns his Xbox on if I go take a nap or if I need an hour to prep my blog for the next day but other than that, our time is devoted to each other before tackling another busy week of work.
That being said, when Dustin is under the weather, I’m totally okay with (and encourage) all the video gaming possible! It keeps him distracted from how he feels and allows me to continue to get things done around the house without having to keep him entertained all day (said with all the love in the world!) Dustin tends to get sick when he’s run himself down with too much work, so letting him indulge himself in his games lets him relax and just take a moment to chill!
If he’s not videogaming, I encourage him to go climb into bed with his tea and Rosie and get some rest. The more rest he gets, the fast he is able to kick his cold!
5. Keep YOURSELF healthy, too!
The last thing you need while taking care of a sick husband is to get whatever he has! Since I have the immune capacity of a teaspoon, I work extra hard to stay as healthy as possible while taking care of my sick man. That means washing my hands a lot, no kissing and lot’s of tea for me, too!
I love drinking a mug of warm tea with Dustin as we snuggle (on opposite ends) of the couch on sick days. It helps me keep my throat from getting sore and helps me stay calm, smooth and collected while tending to my sweet husband.
I love Dustin, but I hate it when he’s sick. That being said, I do love being able to take care of him, especially since I have a better idea of how to do that now: lot’s of tea, rest, and video games!
Do you drink tea when you’re sick? What is your favorite flavor? What do you do to help your significant other get through cold season?
