Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a hardcore coffee drinker. It is not uncommon for me to drink the equivalent of a pot of coffee a day, although the majority of that is decaf, since I have sleep issues and don’t need the caffeine after a certain hour of the day. It is a very rare thing for me to drink tea as a result, and usually that’s only when I’m under the weather.

Well, I have tea.

This started out as a tickle in the throat and has evolved into a small, personal volcano that’s erupting only when I attempt to swallow and also at all other times as well, but especially when I’m trying to swallow. This has, as a result, completely knocked me on my butt. I am exhausted, I am weary, my joints ache even more than usual, and very recently this has started to manifest itself into coughing fits. (Anyone that knows me knows that I cough loud and long and hard, very frequently to the point that I’m lightheaded and feel like I’m going to pass out, which is why I try to avoid coughing while standing – I prefer not to collapse on the floor.) I’ve taken medication to try and alleviate the symptoms, but nothing is working quite like the tea and the occasional bowl of soup.

My wife thinks this is allergy related. I recently stopped taking my daily Claritin and within days this happened. Same with my wife, she stopped at the same time and she’s also suffering with a sore throat and an incessantly runny nose. The exhaustion and the joint pain has me wondering, however. Both of us have had our flu shots, so it would be unlikely that it’s the flu, but a cold isn’t out of the question, especially since we were out and social and in close proximity to a lot of our friends this weekend.

After leaving this post alone for a little while, I’ve had plenty of time for my last round of medication to kick in, and I’m feeling a little better. My wife has taken Sudafed PE and her symptoms seem to be dissipating as well, so that’s a good thing.

Here’s hoping tomorrow is better. I’m headed back to my tea.