dealing with the flu in tight quarters.

[angeli]

Just a comment on the Hydrogen Peroxide for gargling. I wouldn't. It's great for ears, and you can stop a sore throat by simply rinsing the ears with it. But if you swallow enough, it will make you projectile vomit. Not my idea of fun. :O

I use a gently warm cup of water with a couple of teaspoons of salt dissolved in it. Makes a great gargle for the throat and cleanse for the sinuses if you have problems there.

The Elderflower / Peppermint Leaf cure comes from Dr. Shook, one of the great American herbalists of the early 20th century. But I think the Elderberry remedy is very old and probably shares origins with Elderberry wine!

 

[sassypickins]

That is good advice, Angeli, since some may have difficulty controlling a gargle. I'd hate for anyone to get sick trying this!

I restrict myself to only a tiny H2O2 capful, probably half a teaspoon, and have never swallowed any. But next time I get a tickle, I'll just do my ears and see if that alone works for me, thanks!

Thanks for the pointer to Dr. Shook. I pulled my Back to Eden from the bookshelf a while back and have been reading it a little here and there. Such an interesting book!

 

[angeli]

Jethro Kloss is one of my heroes. Back to Eden is fabulous!

 

[Darth_Muerte]

I just had the flu. I said "the heck with this" and got a hotel room for a week. Flu was gone in 2 days, considering the week cost as much as 3 days would have, I considered it a good investment. This is the only time I have been sick in the year I have been living in my van, so it was fine for me.

 

[Salida Scarlett]

Love all the suggestions! There is a deadly and mysterious illness going around, that's killing a lot of folks especially in the southern states, although the mainstream media is not reporting much about it. Because hospitals are one of the most dangerous, germ laden places you can land in, one needs to be their own doctor so to speak by using good information...like this thread, to stay well.

I ordered all the antivirals and immune boosters listed in various websites from Swanson's, (cheaper than wally). We also take Vit D 3 *******, to keep viruses at bay before they happen, as well as Vit C and B-Complex. Tasty, and we don't forget to take them.

I'm an elder, but with no health ins. Don't want any either! Only maybe if I broke an arm or something. Why not? Read this, it'll make the hairs stand up; http://www.hospicepatients.org/this-thing-called-hospice.html It's Stealth euthanasia. I know they do this especially to seniors; they did it to my mom who was 90, but also to a friends nephew, age 38, who was wheel chair bound and had some bad bed sores on his rear...they held a panel, not allowing relatives to be present, made a decision, came out and told the family they couldn't do anything more for him but would give him something for pain. As the family watched, a nurse came in and injected "something", my guess is morphine, into his IV and within 15 min or so, he was dead. Not trying to scare folks, but this has become a reality in this country. Word to the wise on this issue.
~Scarlett

 

[ccbreder]

I'm sorry, I shouldn't even post to this. But a "mystery illness", secret death panels, really?

 

[mockturtle]

Hospice enabled me to take care of my husband at home in his last days. The nurses were very helpful and kind toward both of us. I have personally worked as a Hospice nurse and none of the things mentioned in the above article ever happened in my experience. It is true that the emphasis is on patient comfort rather than medical interventions and that is as it should be, IMHO.

 

[akrvbob]

I have a very strongly positive view of Hospice, but, this is not the place for that discussion. If you want to continue the discussion start a new thread on the "off-Topic forum" out of respect for the original poster.

But it is pretty hard for me to see how that belongs on this forum at all. But the off-topic forum would be the only place for it.
Bob

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Hmm maybe i should look into ***** vitamins...everything is better in ***** form lol. I just don't want to get sick like that again. :/

 

[Darth_Muerte]

I agree. I am skipping the ***** part, but definitely upping my vitamin intake.

 

[HWJ]

Pick up some echinacea supplements to help boost your immune system. And take a regular vitamin supplement.

 

[papas34]

I got a phone call from my daughter yesterday, seems a friend of the family passed away over the weekend from swine flu.
I do not have any details. He lived in a small town 70 miles west of Spokane, he ran a motel and he was 50 years old.
Just last week I heard the swine flu was hitting the US.

 

[mockturtle]

I got a phone call from my daughter yesterday, seems a friend of the family passed away over the weekend from swine flu.
I do not have any details. He lived in a small town 70 miles west of Spokane, he ran a motel and he was 50 years old.
Just last week I heard the swine flu was hitting the US.

There have been several flu deaths here in WA so far and not elderly people, either. At least one has been an otherwise healthy child. Hope the flu vaccine works better than it did last year. I got the shot in October but still had the flu for several weeks in January.

 

[angeli]

If you have already got the flu, and cannot chew garlic, slice a clove very thin and dip the slices in oil. Put the oil drenched slices on your body. Really. It will be absorbed thru your skin. Between your toes at night, under your breasts, armpits, etc. Anywhere a fold of skin will keep it in place, even your face! LOL!!! (just kidding about the face)

You can also put the oiled garlic on a small piece of cotton and place it on the skin. Cover this with a piece of plastic wrap and use medical tape or whatever you have on hand to tape it in place like a bandage. Try to avoid using Gorilla tape. :s

Seriously, the oil will protect your skin from the acid in the garlic, and this is an old tried and true method for getting the antibiotic into your system. After a short bit of time, you will be able to taste the garlic in your mouth as your system absorbs it.

I'm not just shooting off my mouth with a garlic obsession. I'm an herbalist. There are many things that herbs can do, especially to fight off drug resistant strains of illness.

I'm talking about the coughing, dripping, fever, gotta go to bed now type of flu. Swine flu, bird flu, grasshopper flu, etc. But any infection that would respond to 'an antibiotic' will respond to an herbal antibiotic. Add a warm cup of raspberry, dandelion, or burdock root tea several times a day and you are good to go. If you pick the dandelions yourself, try to get them from someplace where they won't have been doused with chemicals (avoid well-manicured lawns with few weeds), and soak them in water for a bit. They are really good for you. Add some elderberry tincture, if you want. Just make sure the elderberries are well ripe when you make the tincture, or you might spend a few hours worshipping the porcelain god (um... porta potties are plastic, right?). Unripe elderberries should never be used, but the ripe ones do make a wonderful remedy.

If you have an infection from a wound, the same garlic remedy works very well if you rub it directly on and/or around the wound, or tape the garlic compress over the wound. It will also prevent the wound or sore from getting infected in the first place.

There are a lot of new viruses and bacterial infections that are drug resistant. And we have aided them by not letting our own natural resistance fight things off. If you do get sick, you can also help your body help you by avoiding sugar, flour, and all dairy products while you are ill, as well as trying to focus on eating things like vegetable soup, or a chicken soup with lots of veggies in it. This will cut down on the mucus production in your own body, and will make it a LOT easier to breathe and to heal. Drink water and not soda. Etc.

---

Papa: I'm very sorry for your daughter's loss. It is very sad to lose a friend before their time.