Donald Duck Speaking

November 4, 2006 at 5:59 pm · Filed under Roba

At least, that’s how I sound like, thanks to my chronic problems with my respiratory system, whether they be sinusitis, allergies, asthma, or any of the whole lot of other stuff that I don’t know the names of.

(At-choo! Wa-rming, whany phost aa-hed)

I got down with a cold a few weeks into Ramadan, and today, a month later, I’m still suffering from the colds consequences. My eyes hurt from sinus pressure, and I can’t sleep at night from lack of oxygen. When I answer the phone, I get asked if I just woke up because my tone is so out of it. A few days ago, someone asked me if my voice is always so nasal.

It’s just torturous, especially as I have doctor phobia. My doctor phobia is so severe that the first book I ever read in my life was called “The New Medicine Show”, and which I read just so that I could avoid a trip to doctors. Naturally, I was too young to really understand anything, and the book didn’t ward off the many disastrous doctor visits of my life, all of which made me realize that doctors are idiots and that I’m better off dealing with my health by myself.

When I first got the cold I did what I always do. I went to the pharmacy and bought myself a supply of decongestant, antihistamine, Panadol Sinus, vitamin C, and cold medicine. A couple of weeks later, I wasn’t getting any better, so I figured I must have a sinus infection so I went to the pharmacy and asked for an antibiotic. It did sort of help, but here I am today, two weeks later, still unable to talk properly and still suffering from breathlessness, especially at night.

Ahhh… On to my next phase, where I switch to Zyrtec, my childhood enemy.

Wouldn’t life be so much easier if we didn’t have noses?






  • http://andfaraway.net/blog/author/mbl Mysterious Blue Liquid

    Salamtik, hope you’ll be feeling better soon.

  • http://omernos.blogspot.com omar

    Salamtek Roba,

  • Talal

    As the son of 2 doctors, and a potential doctor in 4-8 years, I am contractually obliged to advise you to GO TO YOUR DOCTOR. Trust me, self-medication never works.

    Otherwise, I totally understand what you’re going through. I have chronic sinusitis and it’s the most annoying thing in the world–Ramadan was particularly painful this year. If I didn’t like the shape of my nose so much I SO would’ve gotten rid of it by now!

  • http://iheartamman.blogspot.com Firas

    Salamtik, oh dear you are not alone.

    Anyways,taking an antibiotic course for few days and not completing an administrate course would make it worse! Actually you should first consult a doctor before taking antibiotics.
    You should really see an ENT doctor, if it’s allergy, then you got nothing to do, you are not the only one suffering from acute allergy especially during this season.
    For quick relief use Rhinocort@64mg it’s about JD11.30 , or Nasonex (they are nasal sprays (JD12 I think), work as magic.

    Though if you are experiencing difficulty in breathing during night, I really suggest that you see a doctor, like now.

    Wish you quick recovery

  • http://betqa.blogspot.com/ Beti

    Go have some sushi… Some wasabi should clear those sinuses right up!

  • http://www.littlemindz.blogspot.com Mar_yoom

    wow, I totally relate to that. My diet IS comprised of antihistamine pills, nasal sprays and antibiotics (every few months when allergy develops into sinisitus)- it’s sickening. I sometimes feel that, unlike normal people (who are made out of 75% water), i’m actually 75% allergy drugs!!

    Hope you feel better. You should try to find a good doc though and stick with him. But darn, allergy drugs cost so much (especially when you live off them), I’m always broke!

  • amjad

    Alf alf slama Roba ,really the most hard part is a bout the night lake of Oxygen ask me about it… why dont you try to inhale the vapor of menthol boiled in water this old grandmothers prescription and its really effective .

  • Nick

    My suggestion echoes Amjad’s, in the UK it’s called Friar’s balsam (no idea why, though monks must be involved somewhere along the line):

    http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/cache/1067057159.htm

    I don’t think it will treat the underlying condition but it will at least help you relax and sleep.

    Talal is right to say don’t medicate, definitely stay away from antibiotics unless a doctor prescribes them.

    Firas is definitely right to tell you to go see a doctor, you shouldn’t take respiratory problems lightly, breathing is kind of a fundamental human activity and the consequences of abstaining from it are usually dire! ;-) Your doctor might prescribe a reliever inhaler, which is an essential thing to have close at hand in the event of an asthma attack.

    Check: http://www.asthma.org.uk/
    There are 5.2 million people with some form of asthma in the UK, that’s one in eleven of us!

    n