Monday 18 January 2010

Gripe gets a Grip?

Jon and I are both a little under the weather at the moment. Jon is over the worst of his heavy cold. Can't be flu (gripe) as there were no aches and pains or a fever. He now has a racking chesty cough that we have to try and shift. And then in the middle of the night on Saturday I started sneezing for Britain. Last week I was acting as Florence Nightingale and now Jon is doing his turn. He's just making us a potato and leek soup to have for lunch.

Re medicines. The supermarkets around here don't sell medicines or drugs, unless you want foot powder or antiseptic gels. For anything else you have to go to the farmacia. The nearest to us is about 5 miles away at Galizes (near the post office).

I managed to ask for some medicine for the gripe and for nasal congestion. I paid 4 euros for tablets but back at the cottage and a close inspection revealed that they weren't much stronger than the paracetomol we brought with us. As luck would have it we had brought some cough medicine with us, a few Sudafed capsules and some Lemsips. Then our landlady kindly offered to try and ask for something at the farmacia like Sinutab. Amazingly, she managed to buy some Sinutab. It cost 4.61 for 20 tablets but it's good stuff.

Yesterday I had the choice of lying in bed under sufferance (Jon was trying to get me back for making him rest while he was ill) or convalescing on the balcony in the gorgeous hot sunshine. Guess what won? It was like a hot summer day in the UK. Today it's overcast again but very mild.

3 comments:

  1. Thyme is really good for chesty coughs _and_ nasal congestion! I usually make a mug of thyme tea (you can also add honey, lemon, black pepper) and sit with a towel over my head inhaling the steam until the tea is cool enough to drink. Works wonders! Be careful with pharmaceutical medicines as they can often have the side-effect of further drying out your sinuses. Hope you are both feeling better soon x

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  2. Hi Suze

    Sorry to hear you have both been unwell. It seems to be doing the rounds both here and in the UK and sorry to tell you but it may last for weeks. Will has been rotten and my mum has been really really bad with it, both here in PT. Grandad and my uncle have both been rotten with it in the UK, sorry! Sitting in the gorgeous sunshine we have been having must help I am sure, just make sure you are rugged up in the house.
    Take care
    Jen

    p.s. will reply to email tomorrow, am having a day off!!

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  3. Suze found the recipe for Sage tea, I hope the Thyme one tastes a bit better. I was scared to cough afterwards just in case she gave me a second cup.:)Jon

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