Michael and Jaspenelle

Phlegm

Even when I am sick I find myself analyzing my body, more to tell my midwife about I suppose, maybe I am just a pawn in my curiosities greater subconscious plot, either way I have noticed something. Whether you have a doctor or midwife, they always ask what color my phlegm is, apparently this gives incredible incite into what ails you.

Did you know that phlegm is part of an ancient theory known as “humourism” which is credited to Hippocrates. It influenced medical thinking for more than 2,000 years, until finally discredited in the 1800s. It stated that the human body was filled with four basic substances (black bile, bile, phlegm, and blood) called the four humours, which are held in balance when a person is healthy. All diseases and disabilities result from an excess or deficit one of the humours.

So I have an excess of phlegm which is a particularly nasty shade of green. Nice to know this mostly likely means I have a healthy thriving infection! Last time it was this color I had bacterial bronchitis. “Healthy” phlegm is normally clear or white by the way. (However, the initial state of the common flu when the phlegm is still clear can also be the most infectious period, which means this is the time to cough on all those people you don’t like…)

Between my prescribed staying home, hot baths, ginger and Echinacea teas, rest, vitamin C rich foods, lots and lots and lots of water and absolutely no refined sugar I seem to be improving much faster then others I’ve infected. Not so green phlegm is showing up today and my ability to breath is slowly returning (which is always a perk.) The baby is as active as ever, which is a good sign of course.

I am feeling miles better then Sunday, I think yesterday was the hump day in this sickness.. I feel like I actually have some energy today, so as long as I do not overwork myself, it’s all good.

Baby shower is on Saturday and I am set on being well by then.

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Off topic and a little bit of an older story but I think stories like this are tragic. I do not understand how that second model could possibly seen as more beautiful by the judges! She looks likes a skeleton.

Urrrrrrg

My super immune system has failed me and I’ve gotten this horribly bug that has been going around, fever, chills, sore throat, earache and so much more!
So fun.

Pregnancy Notes To Self:

• Understanding husbands who pamper you are totally the best. Love you Michael!
• It is hard to resist the urge to take medication when you feel this shitty.
• Beets are totally not cool to throw up, it looks like blood.
• Ginger lemon tea rules, best herbal remedy ever.
• Kiwis also rule.

Totally going back to bed now.

The Plague

Looks like our home has finally been struck by the plague. You know, that particularly nasty strain of the flu that has been floating around (and was not in the flu shot cocktail this year.) Michael has it, phlegm and all. So far, other then some itchy eyes, I am doing fine. I refuse to get sick, I don’t care if my immune system is “weaker” right now, everyone has gotten it except me, therefor I choose to believe I am immune.

Still I am amping up on the vitamin C and probiotics. Did you know that a kiwi has twice the vitamin C as an orange?

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Is anyone going to be doing Earth Hour this Saturday?

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Edit: A couple of you have emailed me about “the rude a-hole” who made the “fatty comment” on my pancake entry and that I shouldn’t listen to him. I really appreciate your emails but I assure you I rarely listen to him as he is my brother and we always talk like that to each other. No reason to worry. ^_^

Hairballs

(From Two Lumps which eternally reminds me of Windigo and Aos…)

A question for cat connoisseurs…

Windigo is obsessive about cleaning not just his own fur, but also Aos’s. He will clean himself and Aos to the point of throwing up some pretty scary solid hairballs. Some of you might remember last year he got a bowel obstruction (which was passed after a couple days at the vet) it turned out to be a hair blockage of his own making.

Now the weather is warming again and he is starting the obsessive licking cycle again, the hairballs are also just beginning to start again. I brush him, but honestly no hair comes off with the cat brush. Is he pulling his fur out? He doesn’t seem to be going bald anywhere, maybe his tongue is more efficient then my brush. I use a natural hairball formula which seems to work okay when he gets it once or twice a day.

Has anyone else experience this problem with one of their cats? Could I be doing anything else? I really do not want this to turn into another $500 vet bill.

Someone I know at work sugguested that I get some cat grass from Petco, she said it would aid their digestion. Do you think it would help? Windigo and Aos are indoor cats, so they don’t any roughage from the great outdoors. (I am not against letting cats outdoors by the way, we just happen to live 20 feet from 29th Avenue which is a main road in Spokane.) Aos doesn’t get the hairballs Windigo does, however that is probably because he lets Windigo clean him instead of doing it himself…