In praise of Mucinex...

Every year about this time, my seasonal allergies kick in and my sinuses conspire to kill me. My head fills up like a balloon and my nose either runs like Niagra Falls making me choke at odd intervals or stops up completely and prevents me from breathing normally. This year it is particularly bad leaving me to hope for that first hard frost when finally all that nasty pollen and leaf junk will stop blowing around.

I live for Benadryl at this time of year. Benadryl is that amazing little allergy medicine that takes the itchiness out of my running eyes and blocked up ears. But most of all I live for Mucinex!

Mucinex is a wonder drug. It's a huge horse pill that you can buy over the counter but costs an arm and a leg to get. Just choke down one of those lovely large pills and suddenly the nose is clear, the drainage stops, the eyes stop running, and, ahhhhh, I can breathe freely.

Today at work I was out of Mucinex. Around 3pm I couldn't take it anymore. I wasn't even able to talk on the phone because I kept choking on my own...well, you know. I knew my co-worker had some Mucinex...in her desk...and she was not at work. What to do!?
I mean, I am not the sort that rifle through other peoples' personal space but I was in desperate need! Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. I really couldn't. I had to get it. So I did it. I opened her drawer and opened her medicine box and here it was...one last lovely Mucinex. So I took it! I felt horrible for doing it too but I was going downhill fast.

After work I 'fessed up. I met my co-worker for dinner and told her I had rifled through her drawer. She didn't care. But I was still full of guilt and couldn't rest until I told her! All those years of Catholic school I guess!

So all's well that ends well. But seriously, if you have allergies...Mucinex D. Highly recommend it!

Terminal Guilt

I have an illness. I think I was born with it and it is incurable. I have this overwhelming feeling of responsibility for everything and everyone in my life. I don't know why I am like this and it is really starting to bother me. I think that most normal people can walk away from situations without being compelled to "fix" them. For some reason, I can't. I feel that anything bad that happens to people in my life is somehow my ultimately my fault and that makes me feel responsible to do something. Rationally, I know that's not true but I got through the gamut of emotions each and every time. I also know that, because I have this illness, I have spent most of my life making decisions that directly and negatively affect my life in order to keep those around me happy.

I think I am making progress though. I have been able to recognize this in myself and, in spite of how guilty it makes me feel, I have been able to keep myself from always stepping in to make things right. But it's difficult...and it hurts.