the flush
february 16, 2005
i've been a bit under the weather these past couple of days. my damn recurring sinus infections have returned again and although it's not as bad as it was before, it's still not a great thing to deal with. but unlike the other times when i crank up the antibiotics, i've been staying away from that and instead have been using the saline flush/saline irrigation method - as suggested by my allergist.
i know i've mentioned the saline flush thing before but never got around to trying it out because i was too chicken shit. all i can say is that, it was painful to read the "how to" on paper but it's much more painful in real life. but one gets used to it and it really works - which is the bigger deal to me. afterall, i don't need any extra meds floating around in my bloodstream and if this works, then that's all the better.
what is a saline flush you say?
it's where you combine a mixture of water, salt and baking soda and then using one of those "unused" ear wax flusher bulbs, you squirt a stream of the mixture into your nostril and have it flush down into your sinus/throat and then spit it out through your mouth.
sounds tasty no?
the feeling reminds me of when i wiped out on the waves in hawaii and water went straight up into my nose and i was just draining salt water out for the next 5 minutes. and it burns like crazy too! BUT it really works and it keeps your sinuses rather healthy unless of course everyone in your office is sick and they don't wash their hands and pass paperwork to you. ew. i thought i was handling this flu season quite well since everyone else was sick and i was the only one non-sniffling, non-sneezing, non-coughing. but alas, i've succumbed as well but probably due to lack of sleep, stress and other mishaps.
and for those of you who are interested in knowing the approximate measurements for the saline flush it's:
1 quart of water
2 tablespoons of salt
1-2 teaspoon of baking soda
shake it all up in a jar and it can last for 1 week at room temperature. make sure if you use the "bulb" to extract some of the liquid that you pour the liquid into another container before using the bulb to "suck it up", as to not contaminate the entire batch.
try it. you'll like it. plus, it really works.
i think my sinus infection isn't as severe this time because i've been doing this thing and killing everything in its way. it's kind of like coke but in a good way.
i brought all my mounted photographs to work on monday and placed them up in my cubicle. it seems a bit overwhelming at first because my walls are usually bare but now i've gotten used to them. in the first photo above, all the photos on the top row are new. the three on the bottom are old but my favorite is still the girl in the kimono (far left). on the top row from left to right: view of honolulu from tantaulus, shrine motif from the meiji jingu shrine in harajuku, sunset view from waikiki, neon lights of shinjuku, view of rainbow bridge from odaiba tokyo.
i placed two additional photos on a separate wall of my cubicle. on the left is the view from inside the boat heading down sumida gawa from asakusa. on the right is the view of part of the imperial palace. both taken in tokyo 2003. looking back at these photos make me really really really want to go back soon.
