Back from Sabbatical

Well, I guess it's time I should blog again. After being out of service for about four weeks--sick with something deadly, I'm sure--then heading to UT for a short trip, and then having Rhett on business travel for a few days, here we are now, settling into routine again.

As previously mentioned, I was pretty sick a bit ago. It started out with body chills and just plain not feeling good. Then it all moved into my sinuses. I thought my head was going to explode. The pressure and pain were excruciatingly intense. And us, being so granola that we are, decided to try all sorts of things to help relieve it. Actually, I was just desperate. Here is a list of the things I remember trying (though it all seems hazy now):

* Wasabi--to get things moving along in my sinuses. Dip those California Sushi rolls in some of that stuff, and yep, things sure get flowing (but don't do it before going into a store without tissues. I'm sure I looked like a mess!) Worked well, but did not relieve enough pressure to alleviate the sinus headaches.

* DoTerra's Breathe essential oil--I pretty much sat next to the diffuser and inhaled this stuff. It worked amazingly at clearing the nasal passages, but again, did not get anything cleared out of the sinus cavities.

* Steam: bath vs shower?--I figured out the best thing to do (and this was about three in the morning) is to sit in a hot bath and let the hot, hot shower run. Not efficient for your water/heating bill, but effective in getting the nasal passages cleared. Again, though, still left pressure in my sinuses.

* Activator--lent to us by our great friend and chiropractor. This thing pretty much let Rhett punch me in the face in order to vibrate the mucous loose from the sides of the sinuses. Worked pretty well--as soon as Rhett did it, my nose would start running. But BOY did it hurt! (I'm sure Rhett enjoyed it though!)

* Garlic clove in the ear canal--This was a random one-night-attempt to relieve the pressure that had moved into my ears. I don't really remember if it helped relieve the pain. All I remember is waking up with some giant thing in my ear, so I pulled it out and tried to go back to sleep.

* Gulp water over steaming pot of boiling water--Now this, surprisingly, worked really well in clearing my nasal passages. I would boil water in a pot, then drape a towel over my head to catch the steam. Next, I would drink a large glass of water. This actually worked better than putting eucalyptus oil in the water steaming from the pot. But it only cleared my nose temporarily.
* Hanging my head upside down--I could totally feel things moving along inside all those cavities, but I could never hold the position long enough because of 1) my pregnant belly and 2) too much pressure in my head.

* Nasal Rinse--This was my go-to for the majority of the time. We have this special bottle (that is worth investing in if you ever have sinus problems) where you fill it with warm, distilled water and a small packet of some kind of sodium stuff, and then shoot it up your nose. It sends water up one nostril, and drains out the other nostril (pushing everything in its path out). I was doing this about four times a day, and a few times in the night too. Rhett and I witnessed some unbelievable sights as I did this. We almost filmed it and posted it on youtube. Seriously. What in the world was living up in these sinuses???

* Tylenol Sinus--This worked well enough to relieve my sinus headaches. Didn't do much for clearing them out, but it was nice to have some pain gone for a bit of time.

* Cold Humidifier--Don't know how well this worked in clearing my nasal passages, or relieving the pressure in my sinuses, but it did help soothe some of the rawness after things started flowing.

That's about all I can remember right now. We had a lot of kind friends aiding us in my recovery--bringing dinners, giving blessings, offering this and that. We appreciate everyone who reached out and helped bring me back to life!

Next Post: Pictures. I promise.