Sunday, February 06, 2011

so it finally happened

At long last, I seem to have gotten sick. Nothing incapacitating-- just a slightly sore throat, a headache, and some mucus that won't go away-- but annoying all the same. I'm pretty sure the cause is my apartment's temperature: in an attempt to save on electricity costs, I normally keep the thermostat dialed down to 69 degrees (20.6 Celsius), which is apparently a few degrees cooler than my body likes. It's been this way for several weeks, now. Last night, I ratcheted the temperature back up to 73 (22.8), which is closer to my usual comfort zone. I slept better, but the damage of the past few weeks had been done, and I woke up this morning with the aforementioned symptoms playing discordant jazz riffs in my head. Part of the problem may also be that I recently ran out of Vitamin C, which I guzzle in the 2000mg range daily. The sudden drop in C intake may have played its own role in the current discomfort.

Not to worry, though: a few gargling sessions with a peroxide solution ought to combat the sore throat, and a temporary raising of the ambient temperature to 73 degrees for a few days ought to do the trick for the rest. As for the vitamins, I'll buy them when I can afford them.


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5 comments:

hahnak said...

weve all been sick here too. are you wearing warmer clothes?

Sperwer said...

69! Wow, I envy you. she who must be obeyed has set ours so that it's about 55.

Kevin Kim said...

Hahna,

I probably should.

Sperwer,

55? I assume you either bundle up or you've gotten so honed in body and mind that you just generate your own heat.

She Who Must Be Obeyed must have a different body chemistry from the ladies I knew at Sookdae, all of whom, without exception, preferred to crank the heat way up in winter and let the heat in during the summer. Hotter was better, as far as they were concerned. I began to think that they were trying to cook their ovaries.

jessie said...

gargling sessions with simple salt is more effective for sore throat.... keep warm

Kevin Kim said...

Jessie,

re: salt water gargling

You're right and that's actually what I normally do. But I was feeling lazy and the peroxide was at hand. That stuff is amazingly effective, but it has to be used both sparingly and carefully, because it tends to kill all the flora in one's mouth-- even the good flora.