I am dealing with a head cold this week, stuffy, runny nose, watery eyes, sinus pressure and pain. At first I thought it was allergies but I don’t normally have that problem. As my symptoms increased, I tested for Covid and it was negative. I tested again a day later just to be sure and got the same results. Nope, I just have a plain old summer cold, and somehow those always seem to be the worst.

I googled “best home cures for a summer cold” and found that I need hydration, rest and over the counter meds. I can do the hydration and the meds, as long as they don’t interfere with caring for my husband, the resting part may be a bit more difficult. Which brings me back to the question that is always in the back of my mind, if I’m incapacitated, who cares for my husband? Heck, who cares for me? The other thought that always surfaces is that it’s a good thing he is the one with the chronic illness because he’s a much better patient than I am. No matter how bad he is feeling, he is strong, resilient and keeps a positive attitude. I, on the other hand, have been whiny, cranky and complaining all week about not feeling good. I don’t know how he puts up with me.

The answer appears to be that we both always do the best we can. Thankfully, meals are covered because I have leftover food in the freezer that I can easily heat up. I am tackling household chores at a slower pace and letting some things go. My husband recognizes that I am feeling under the weather and is understanding if I am not as attentive or even tempered as usual. Finally, I lower my expectations to meet my abilities and we keep on going, what other choice do we have? And I need to remember, this head cold won’t last forever, it just feels like it in this moment.