Summer head colds are the worst (2 long self-obs)

[Shamaël]

When I woke up this morning and felt that my throat was sore and my nose congested, I knew it would be a lousy day... and I was not mistaken.  But I realised that, had I been a witness of my own life, some aspects of my day would have been of great interest, since it's been a compilation of situations I believe a fetishist would have enjoyed. Here we go.

With the sudden changes in the weather, the outburst of pollens and the use of air conditioning, I've been sniffling and slightly congested for about a week, and I had the impression that I was coming down with a cold, but it was nothing more than a sniffle... until today. I woke up with a sore throat, and fervently hoped that it was nothing, because I had to supervise an exam this afternoon. Anyway, I went to the collège I teach in ("collège", in France, is for students from 12 to 15) this morning, in order to tidy and clean up my classroom. Some of the shelves were very, very dusty and I started sneezing (dust is one of the few things that can set me off) as soon as I took the book from the shelves to rearrange them. I had to stop and blow my nose every two minutes, and I sneezed repeatedly - quite forceful sneezes, that seemed to come from my chest, and very, very wet. I used a dozen of tissues and when I finally finished my job, three hours later, I had sneezed more than thirty times (no fits, though, just explosive single sneezes that bursted out without any warning and left me breathless and slightly wheezing). At that time, I still hoped it was only allergies and I went out to breathe some fresh air.

Unfortulately, it didn't improve my condition and I realised that it wasn't allergies at all and that I had a monstruous head cold . My head ached and my nose was completely blocked, I was starting to feel quite nauseous and my sneezes were more and more violent. Normally, I don't sneeze at work, but they were impossible to stop. As I wasn't hungry, I made some tea in the teachers' room and sat in a corner, hoping that no one would notice I was there. But my sneezes are not exactly quiet, so a lot of collegues noticed that I was feeling unwell, blessed me each time I sneezed (and managed to make me very uncomfortable with innocuous jokes about it) and symathized with me.

Bu the time I had to supervise the exam, my nose was so stuffy I had to blow it every minute, my head was pounding and I had a low grade fever. I opened the room, welcomed the students, they settled and I gave them the exercices, then I went at the back of the class while my collegue remained in front of the children. I sat, opened my bag... and discovered with horror that I had no tissues left! I had used the three packs I had brought. I needed to sneeze so badly that I hastily retrieved a scarf I had - fortunately - in my bag and I stifled two sneezes into it (I didn't want to disturb the students and I was really embarrassed to sneeze in front of them - fortunately, I'm able to suppress the noise almost completely). Then, as my nose was running, I left the classroom and went to the toilets to take some hygienic paper. It was rough and scratchy but thanks to it I managed to limit the damage during the two hours of the exam. I stifled seven more sneezes during the exam and blew my nose so much that when I left the classroom it was red and chapped. I had the impression that my head was filled with liquid. (Ugh.)

Finally I left the collège and came back home - but my day wasn't over, because I had to pick up my car (I had left it yesterday to the garage for an oil change). It's a 30 minutes walk from my place. Apart from the fact that I had to blow my nose every minute, it was easier to breathe outside and I felt better, but after 20 minutes I had to walk on a white and dusty road. The sun was bright, there was a lot of light reflection, I don't know what happened, but suddenly my nose was absolutely out of control. I almost never have sneezing fits. One, two in a row at best, three when it's really really dusty, but fits? No. Even when I have colds, the sneezes come one by one. But today... I just couldn't stop. I sneezed for almost five minutes, a series of "Aaaahhhtchh! Heh-aah-ihh-isshhhtchuuhh! Ahh-haaah-aahhhpptshhhahh!" - 27 in a row (every 20 seconds approximately), and they were getting louder and louder. My breathe was hitching constantly and as soon as I looked at the ground (white and bright), I sneezed violently. First, I covered them with my hands, then I took a tissue, then a second, a third, and when the three were drenched and my nose completely sore, I just aimed at the ground (there was no one around, fortunately). When I finally arrived at the garage, blowing my nose and crying, the mechanic blinked, chuckled and told me "wow, that's a bad cold you got there! sure you'll be able to drive?". The fact that I answered with three harsh and wet sneezes was in itself a defeat. I waited ten minutes for the fit to subside completely (everyone was looking at me and I was so, so embarrassed, but I couldn't have stifled one more sneeze even to save my life ) and came back home.

Now I'm sitting on my couch with a cup of tea and a pile of tissues, and instead of brooding over (because it really was a lousy day) I decided to share my experience with you (and something tells me that it's not over, considering how congested I still am and how sore my throat is)...

Edited July 3, 2019 by Aliena H.

[Chanel_no5]

1 hour ago, Aliena H. said:

I don't know what happened, but suddenly my nose was absolutely out of control. I almost never have sneezing fits. One, two in a row at best, three when it's really really dusty, but fits? No. Even when I have colds, the sneezes come one by one. But today... I just couldn't stop. I sneezed for almost five minutes, a series of "Aaaahhhtchh! Heh-aah-ihh-isshhhtchuuhh! Ahh-haaah-aahhhpptshhhahh!" - 27 in a row (every 20 seconds approximately), and they were getting louder and louder. My breathe was hitching constantly and as soon as I looked at the ground (white and bright), I sneezed violently. First, I covered them with my hands, then I took a tissue, then a second, a third, and when the three were drenched and my nose completely sore, I just aimed at the ground (there was no one around, fortunately). When I finally arrived at the garage, blowing my nose and crying, the mechanic blinked, chuckled and told me "wow, that's a bad cold you got there! sure you'll be able to drive?". The fact that I answered with three harsh and wet sneezes was in itself a defeat. I waited ten minutes for the fit to subside completely (everyone was looking at me and I was so, so embarrassed, but I couldn't have stifled one more sneeze even to save my life ) and came back home.

Oh. My God. I'm... a little speechless.  

I do understand the embarrassment, but wow, that was amazing! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Bless you, and hope you'll feel better soon!  

 

[Willowwhip]

Oh geez, that sounds horrible. You poor thing! Stay cozy and get some rest. I hope you feel better soon.

[Jeff1]

Such an amazing observation.  Thank you for sharing and I hope you feel better!

[Eights of Spades]

à tes souhaits! (I think...I learned this from my friend who speaks French awhile back)

hope you feel better and look forward to more observations...this one was great!

[DozeCode4465]

Oh my such a summer cold.  I can only imagine how sore your poor nose is.  Please feel better - and let us know how you progress. If you can, of course. 

[Shamaël]

Thanks to all of you for the messages and blessings (@Eights of Spades : yes, "à tes souhaits" is the French expression to bless someone, but it has no religious connotation) !!! I don't really feel better today but the sneezing has subsided (except for one event I'm going to report here). Now my nose is completely blocked but it's not running as much as it was yesterday, so I guess it's an improvement. Today I said goodbye to my students and I had a... "conseil de discipline". I don't even know the right word in English... a disciplinary committee? for a student who attacked another student during a class. We had to decide if she was going to stay with us next year. So I had to stay in my collège this afternoon. I started coughing this morning, I had a low-grade fever, and I sneezed occasionally, but I didn't have to blow my nose every minute like yesterday. After half an hour of discussion about the student, my nose started to tickle and I rubbed it furiously to quell the itch, but to no avail, and I sneezed five times in a row in front of the head master, all the collegues and the parents' representatives. I couldn't stifle them, they came from deep inside my chest and I tried to bury them into a tissue (I had brought seven packs today ), but they were loud and violent, with a pause of 10-15 seconds between each sneeze. I imagine that for an outside observer, the scene was quite funny. I'll let you judge it:

The headmaster: "So, considering what the student has done, and the fact that she had already been admonished for similar facts..."

Me (suddenly bowing to the left and sneezing into my hands): "Ihhhtscchhuh!Excuse me."

(Blessings from everyone. I take a tissue from my bag.)

The headmaster: "... she has been admonished in january, because she..."

Me: "Ahhhtscchuhhh! Sorry."

(Blessings from everyone. A smile from two of my collegues who had already teased me in the morning.)

The headmaster: "... she had not respected the rules of our collège, and..."

Me (desperately trying to muffle the sound into my tissue): "Heh-Heemmpschh!"

The headmaster, to me: "Are you all right?"

Me (blushing and trying not to sneeze a fourth time): "Yes, yes, I'm sorry, please go on."

The headmaster: "All right, so when we read the report..."

Me (trying to stifle, and failing spectacularly): "Ihhhhdzzchuhh!"

(At that point, my collegues started to smirk.)

The headmaster: "... the report that has been written by the maths teacher..."

Me (literally wishing to disappear into thin air): "Ahhptschhaaahh!"

(Everyone giggled. I wanted to dig a hole in the ground.)

The headmaster (amused and a bit irritated at the same time): " Bless you again. Do you wish to be excused for a moment?"

Me (hastily and gratefully, breath hitching): "Heh... yes... yes pl-ehh-please!"

I take my tissues pack, leave the room, feeling a sixth sneeze coming, I close the door, I stand in the corridor, I raise my hands covered with a fresh tissue, ready for the explosion, and... nothing.  I go to the toilets, drink some water, blow my nose, still nothing. I sniff tentatively - still congested, but no sneeze. Right. So I come back into the room, excuse myself, resume my seat... and, of course, the last stuck sneeze creeps up and explodes just when it's my turn to speak. Fortunately, it was the last one and I've been able to say what I had to say with no further interruption.

Now I'm at home and it seems that 'false starts' are my cold's new game. Awsome. Anyway, I wanted to share that anecdote with you, because in fact it was quite funny (not for me at the time, but better to laugh that to cry, so...  But I'm glad this day is over and I hope I won't have anything to tell you tomorrow. I'll spend the entire day in another collège for the marking of an exam, and I'll be stuck in a room with 17 collegues...).

(I know I almost always end long posts with it, but: once again, sorry for the probable mistakes I made in English.)

[thatfly1ngcow]

wow, bless you. That cold sounds like hell, just hope you feel better soon

[Luisa39]

A tes souhaits!

Edited July 4, 2019 by Luisa39

[Hedgehog]

Oh dear, @Aliena H. I'm sorry you've been so ill this week. I hope you already feel a bit better? I also hope, you find some rest now over the weekend. Je te souhaite un bon rétablissement! 

[EdanZather]

summer colds suck, pretty sure they're just worse than regular colds in general. Hope you're feeling better soon!

 

[Shamaël]

Thank you for your wishes! My cold is over now and I hope it won't happen again anytime soon!!! 

[Elektra]

Holy...!!!!! I can't believe I'm only reading your obs now 😭 Seriously, girl?!:)

I have to tell you my own specal diagnosis (and you know how good I am with those) : you are allergic to your school.

Hugs