I’m getting over a cold. My nose is raw from how many times I’ve had to blow it. Even name brand tissue feels like sandpaper after several dozen uses. My kidneys probably hate me for drinking cough syrup at the minimum safe interval for a few days on end. The smell of a cough drop is now off-putting.

I have a very bad cold right now. Sorry, respiratory system, I won’t take you for granted ever again.

I think about this sometimes. Also sometimes I like to just give my fingers a wiggle to cherish that I can just, like, do that. I was in a bad bike accident a couple years ago (no serious lasting harm) and when I was on the ground right after I was like “oh no oh no ok ok extremity check can I still move everything?”

I have what I’m pretty sure is gustatory rhinitis, except it’s triggered by eating anything, not just spicy food, so I definitely do appreciate the times when my nose isn’t running. All 5 minutes a day that it’s not.

My nose is both runny and my throat hurts.

I have a handful of yearly reminders in Google Keep along these lines:

Are you sick today? No? Then rejoice! On this day in 2016, you were quite sick and miserable with an infinite runny nose. The past version of you would gladly trade their place with you.

Another one for it being too hot in the apartment I lived in:

Was it swelteringly hot to the point that it was very hard for you to do sleep or even go upstairs to your room today? If not, rejoice! Because on this day in 2017 (these past 3 days, really) it was unbearably hot and dry in your room, and you had to soak a towel in cold water, and tried and failed to sleep. Also the cat got stuck in your closet and you had to let him out

And a few others, including reminding myself not to lose an entire day to watching youtube videos. A few like that.

My nose runs pretty much all fall/winter, it started about a week ago. No sore throat yet, that’s nice, but I just found out a friend I just hung out with a few days ago tested positive for covid, so we’ll see how long that lasts…

Do not undervalue the headache. While it is at its sharpest it seems a bad investment; but when relief begins, the unexpired remainder is worth $4 a minute.

-Mark Twain

It’s probably as good as it’ll ever be again. Maybe it’s not, maybe you’ve got a little bit of up in you before it goes down further, but the trend is downwards. Enjoy your moment!! Live guilt free, and try to make everyone around you just a little bit better by not making it any worse for them. And if, in that process, people are actively telling you you’re making it worse, fuck them, find better people to surround yourself with.

Even a cogged up nose is much much better than a complete dry nose. I’ve had a bad luck to experience it few times. It is like breathing in swords.

Yes

Arrgghh, fuck you Victoria! Now I need to blow my nose.

Was perfectly fine until you reminded me that I’m playing yo-yo with my snot.

It’s best to not to get a condition that’ll cough yer lungs oot, when it touches the lest bit of irritation, as well…