Surviving home rest in style
My most recent trip to Ireland and the UK ended up with my coming down with a severe upper respiratory infection. As I am one of those perpetually heathy people who is never ill, I totally panicked. Furthermore, the doctor said I was contagious and needed to stay home for a full week. This was devastating news as after having been away since mid-May my “to do” list was already bursting at the seams.
What to do? Frequently, when confronted with something unpleasant I turn to Martha Stewart who once claimed that “You can turn even dusting into a fun project.” With that mindset of turning lemons into lemonade, I was determined to make the best of the situation.
Random memories of being ill as a child, which fortunately were infrequent, immediately flashed before me. I remember my mother—someone never particularly warm and demonstrative—as always rising to the occasion with uncharacteristic tenderness and scrupulous medical attention. It was almost worth getting the sniffles just to get that extra dose of TLC and see my mother morph into a repressed wanna-be nurse.
My Proustian recollection is that every illness began with Mom’s home cure-all: An aspirin diluted with water in a silver teaspoon, stirred with a toothpick, along with an added drop of honey to make it palatable. There was always some hesitation on her daughters’ part, but eventually, she always got my sister Sharon and me to swallow her magic potion.
Whenever we needed to go to the doctor, the prescribed preparatory routine was predictable: A warm bath and a freshly shampooed head of hair. For whatever reason, my mother was also fastidious about finding the cleanest pair of white cotton underwear in our drawers for us to put on. Perhaps she worried if the doctor were judging how she cared for her children, at least she’d get an “A” for cleanliness.
As you might imagine, the first thing I did before heading to CityMD, (it was a long, holiday weekend when I got sick!) was to jump into a warm bubble bath. And, yes, I also found a clean pair of Hanes white briefs in my drawer to slip on.
Then, I remembered my favorite part of being sick as a child. Unlike most mothers who favor chicken soup as the remedy for all illnesses, mine opted for vanilla ice cream. If Sharon and I behaved properly at the doctor’s office, we would be rewarded with vanilla ice cream. If we took all of our medicine and didn’t drive our parents crazy being bored out of our minds stuck at home, we’d get a scoop cream before going to bed. Call it bribery. It worked even if it had nothing to do with helping us get better.
So, in devising a game plan for my seven days incarcerated at home, I fell upon the idea of “channeling Mom.” How would I care for myself to make sure I did all that was necessary to get better including getting adequate rest, eating properly, and taking my meds on time? This later chore was particularly challenging as I am a gagger.
Despite the pill-taking dilemma, this turned out to be surprisingly easy. Once I decided that “How to survive home rest in style” could be an engaging blog topic, everything fell into place. This task practically wrote itself—well, almost—thanks to my possie of pals all of whom gladly took on the assignment of faithful mother hens proffering advice and showering me with affection, care, and endless containers of chicken soup.
Here are some of their “Top Ten” suggestions (plus one more for extra credit!) on how to get better via an equal dose of practical experience and panache.
1. Let others know that you are ill, including your close friends, family, and doormen. There’s no shame in this, especially if you live alone. Also, if you are contagious, let people with whom you’ve been in close contact know what your specific issues are. They will thank you!
2. Seek medical treatment. After you’ve seen the doctor and obtained your medications, develop a simple action plan so that you take the pills on a timely basis. As my recent traveling mate, Joan Brower—who was also fallen by the same URI—thoughtfully reminded me “Be sure to take the full course of therapeutic treatment prescribed, especially with antibiotics. Not doing so risks the infection returning, creating a need to begin the course of medication all over again!”
3. Figure out your needs. What will be required to get you through your confinement? Ordering from an on-line service makes this very simple nowadays. However, if your friends ask if they can help, LET THEM. Several pals offered to make soup and bring me other provisions. Thank heavens, as I desperately needed my all-curing quart of vanilla ice cream. And don’t be ashamed either to bask in their attention. The love and care of your family, friends and neighbors will be a big boost to your physical and emotional ability to bounce back. (This week’s recipe is for a quick and easy and divinely delicious “Thai Chicken Soup” which Eleanor Signor developed and with her husband, Bruce, personally delivered to my doorstep.)
4. Give yourself permission to opt out. Kate Hannenberg, architectural designer, and neighbor, says that “resting means giving yourself permission to opt out of many things until you really are ready to resume them. That means people too. They can be exhausting and demanding, and you don't need to entertain anybody but yourself.” This includes being ruthless in your cancellations. It’s your time to stay home and rest.
5. Create a nest. Joan Brower recommends “Building yourself a comfortable nest, then allow yourself to be sick. Don't worry about things getting messy, as they can be put back in order once you're better.” She also reminded me that “being stoic, pushing through any illness is not always the safest or wisest behavior. Extreme stoicism or denial can sometimes do more harm than good. Recognize when medical intervention is necessary and respect the science.”
6. Outpace your virus: Internist and hematologist Dr. Lou Aledort says it’s important to rest and lie down anytime you feel fatigued or tired. Listen to your body. Hydrate with lots of liquids and continue the routine until your urine is light colored. Add protein to your diet as, according to Dr. Lou, one breaks down more protein when ill. “Move around but not necessarily vigorously.” Fresh air is also beneficial so “open many windows and take a solitary walk” when you feel strong enough.
7. Devise a simple daily schedule of what you need to do which includes taking your meds, hydrating, and eating properly. Speaking of food, to encourage eating—most of us have a limited appetite when sick—pull out your favorite dishes, china, and crystal, too, and treat yourself like a special guest. Whole wheat grain toast on your Havilland Limoges tastes infinitely more delicious than off of a paper towel. And tea out of a porcelain mug? Transformative.
Don’t worry about tackling any major at home projects. This is a case of less is more. I started out thinking I’d clean out the closet with all our heavy family vacation photo albums, then settled on emptying my dust buster instead. Don’t expend unnecessary energy on anything other than getting better.
8. Assign a “Director of Entertainment”. Kate Hannenberg—one of my most upbeat, energic, and eclectically-curious friends, took on this assignment with gusto. Here is her recommendation of what to binge on and/or read to avert extreme boredom while staying in bed.
TV:
Somebody Somewhere HBO
CB Strike HBO
Extraordinary Attorney Woo Netflix
Il Paradiso del Signore Netflix
Grantchester PBS
Endeavor PBS
The Durrells in Corfu PBS
All Creatures Great and Small (new version) PBS
BOOKS:
Hello Beautiful, Anne Napolitano
Trust, Hernan Diaz
The Boy in the Field, Margot Livesy
Excellent Women, Barbara Pym
Cakes and Ale, Somerset Maugham
Most things, William Boyd and Thomas Mallon
9. Give yourself many treats including music. According to my personal DOE, “Ginger ale tastes best in a tall glass. Cookies should be on a small plate. And, find multiple places to nap. A blanket near each is recommended.” My favorite Italian grandmother’s hand-crocheted red and beige Afghan was immediately put into action. Strategically placed on the arm of my library couch, it seemed to beckon me for yet another midday nap. Its seduction was irresistible.
Retired wine marketer and author Lila Gault claims that “The road to wellness is more than ‘Doctors Orders and Chicken Soup.’ For me it’s the emotional boost of my favorite music. I’ll start with the classics - a Brandenburg Concerto, the 4th Movement of Beethoven’s Ninth, then segue to more recent faves - a Beatles medley, Ella Fitzgerald shout-out, and the soundtrack from ‘La La Land.’ This penicillin for the soul works a mysterious magic that I don’t quite understand, but often find very helpful.”
10. Make yourself chicken soup: Cooking school teacher and author Janeen Sarlin, like many of my other friends, swears by the curative power of chicken soup. “Other than beaucoup bowls of hot chicken soup, just plain chicken stock is my go-to remedy. After I’ve had the soup plain, and I’m feeling better, I add carrots, parsnip, and tons of chopped fresh greens (ie: parsley, spinach, kale, scallion, dill, cilantro, basil, etc.) until the bowl is full, pour boiling chicken stock over the greens and dévouer the ‘meal’. It’s a winner for my speedy recovery.”
11. Capture the power of Vitamin C: Many of my pals maintain the curative power of Vitamin C as one of the surest ways to get better. My stepson, Mark Lauber, who has young kids and is frequently exposed to a lot of sick people, claims that maintaining a healthy diet, washing your hands constantly, and downing a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every morning wards off illness. He even travels with his own juicer.
Wine writer Marguerite Thomas agrees but adds a healthy dose of exercise to the get well-stay well, something she’s done since her early days as a ballerina. As she explains her regime, “I take 1000 mgs/daily. I don’t take any Rx medications. I occasionally get the beginnings of a cold—stuffiness, sneezing—but with more C added to my daily regimen during those episodes this never lasts more than a handful of days max and has never been serious enough to require bed rest let alone medical attention. “
Wine educator, marketer and now travel guru Lars Leicht puts a different spin on his vitamin regime. He was recently at his second home in Umbria, Italy, when he discovered he had COVID-19. “My cure involved tea with honey and rum or espresso ‘corrected‘ with grappa; and lots of sunshine sitting on my veranda before spring took a turn for the chilly and cloudy over there. I probably should have been on a Z-pack or something, but I roughed it out with nothing more than a nasal spray and a decongestant pill. Of course, there was plenty of Vitamin C, both red and white.”
Dr. Michael Apstein agrees with the “curative” aspect of wine. For his brief bout with COVID, he was “isolated in one of our kids’ rooms. (His wife) Dee allowed me one quick trip to the wine cellar as long as I announced it in advance so she could scurry to the other part of the house. She would bring a tray of food and leave it on the floor outside the closed door. The trick was to retrieve the food before the dogs sensed it was at their level!”
Whatever your panacea is for recovering while hibernating at home, one way to know you’re getting better is when you “actively crave coffee in the morning.” My DOE proclaimed this to be true, so I believe it thus.
And, when you’ve fully back in the saddle, do something wildly fun to celebrate both your wellness and liberation from the confines of home. Remember, panache is part of the getting well equation so give your imagination full reign. With seven days stuck at home, you deserve a grand, splashy reentry into civilization.