i'm a jewish christian scientist

i've been sick with a cold for the last 5 days. it's moved from my head to my nose and has settled in my chest. people who don't know me well all ask, "what are you taking?" so if you know me, you're already saying, "um, medicine, not her." you see, since i was 25, i haven't taken more than an advil or two during the day when i'm sick and at night a 1/2 shot glass of scotch. this is what i call the dynamic duo.

i know, you're thinking i'm crazy and no, i don't own stock in advil.  i've been lucky health wise. i do believe that for most of the ailments i've had in the last few decades, the body has healed itself.  i think not taking antibiotics has increased my immunity system and made me stronger.  that's not to say that i don't get sick. i have a 14 year old at home, work at a school and live in a city where people are too close and breathe on each other. i am surrounded by germs.

i remember being 25, getting sick and going to the drug store to buy some over the counter medicine.  i could not get over the choice in front of me. decongestants, decongestants with codeine, expectorants, and all with alcohol. the shelves were lined with products.  but this is what freaked me out - reading the side effects. they sounded worse than my cold.  dizziness, excitability, headache, nausea, anxiety, trouble sleeping. i liked my cold symptoms better than the side effects. it was that day i decided to buy a big bottle of advil and scotch, and started praying for good health.

wwcd:  the dynamic duo is still working for me 25 years later