Sad but true, no matter how hard we try to keep ourselves healthy, stuff still flies. Actually it really does fly, the germs are airborne when we cough and sneeze and can go as far as 12 ft and that’s pretty far.

So how did I start to feel? This may help you especially if you work with children in close proximity or with fragile patients as I do.

Symptoms:

1. My neck started to ache. This is a big clue and in the nursing world, we call it malaise. You start to feel achy and just not feeling up to snuff.  This is usually the first sign of illness that begins the intrusion on your healthy space and you are probably the most contagious at that time.

So what did I do?

I started wearing a face mask at work. I made every effort to not get too close to my patient, especially his face, and of course I washed my hands frequently. Hand sanitizer is a great back-up measure to have available.  Water, soap and friction are your best bets to prevent the spread of germs. And always…..cough or sneeze in your shoulder and…you guessed it, wash your hands again.

Well, now that we have these crummy little colds:

My husband is on antibiotics because his cold developed into bronchitis. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the brochioles which is part of your lungs. Many people have a tendency to develop bronchitis especially people with asthma.

So what are some home remedies to care for and help alleviate your cold and that general stuffed up feeling? Please if you are very ill or have a fever, check with your doctor to receive medical advice and treatment.

1. Drink fluids…We enjoy hot tea with honey and lemon. I put a pot of soup on which is a great way to get your fluids and take in Vit C rich veggies. The recipe is simple and it is good to have these items on hand during the cold and flu season. Of course if you are totally miserable please don’t feel guilty about opening a ready made can of soup, more power to you.

1 Knorr vegetable mix packet: this one also makes a great dip.

Cut up a handful of baby carrots, 1 medium onion, 1 red potato, fresh cilantro, 2 cloves of garlic and add a couple chicken bouillon cubes to about 5-6 cups of water in a pot.

Bring to a boil and then simmer until veggies are done. The whole process takes about 45-60 mins.

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2. I like to take vit C or one of those special fizzy packets you mix with water that has vit C in it at the first sign of a cold.

3. Rest is the best way for your body to heal. Your body is working hard to fight off the germs. I know it is very difficult to rest when you have the responsibilities of work and young children. I used to put up a gate in a safe room that the kids could play in while we watched a DVD, listened to music, read books or watched cartoons. We rested and hung out together.

4. My husband likes to breath in warm steam to help open his airways.

Below are a couple of links you may enjoy about colds.

More interesting facts about cold symptoms and germs.

Home remedies by Donna Cordillo R.N.

About the lungs from KidsHealth.org

And just in case you have not heard The Singing Nurse songs about not spreading germs and washing hands, you might want to check them out, they are great for teaching your children how to protect themselves from germs. The songs are educational and entertaining and your kids will become little “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” advocates.

Please add a comment below about your winter blues and what you are doing to stay healthy.

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 Ms. Dawn

A new tab has been added today, we thought you would like to hear what others are saying about The Singing Nurse website at www.TheSingingNurse.com and how they are using the health songs from “The Singng Nurse, Nurturing Body, Mind and Spirit” in their everyday lives. We have some appreciative comments from Mothers, Grandmothers and Teachers.

Check it out………  Keep Singing…

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

www.TheSingingNurse.com Well, the final touches have been made to the CD. We are doing all of our own production locally until the demand it too great.

I am very pleased with the quality of the CD face, thanks to the Ginese Boys and Mike S. for their computer skills and for finding the “watershield” CD’s that were made for the inkjet disc printer.

Please pass the word to your family and friends, to teachers and Nurses, and to anyone you know who cares about teaching children good health habits and who wants to have fun doing it.

Please send them to www.TheSingingNurse.com to check out the songs.

The PayPal option should be functioning soon.

Dental Health month is this month, “The Dentist is a Good Guy” and “I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth” are great little toons I know you will find helpful with your youngsters.

Tick season is coming soon, so check out “The Tick Song” while you are here.

Blessing………..Ms. Dawn

Welcome

Hi, So glad you stopped by. As you can see we are under construction, and doing final touches to my upcoming CD and websites. I’m getting excited because this has been quite a long project. I hope you will order the CD.  The songs are done in many different styles of music with latin beats, country rock, broadway, Asian and the smooth voices of Ms. Dawn and friends.

What you’ll find here:

Take a little tour around and please make sure you check out the songs on the Music page.

I am a nurse and musician and the songs I have written and recorded have fun health related messag es that are upbeat and would appeal to your preschooler and young elementary children.

Read the “U Sait It!” tab to see what grandmothers, moms, teachers and an author are saying about the music.

After you have checked out the tunes please add yourself to the “U R Here!” map and let us know what you think.

The About page is where you will learn about my musical beginnings.

You can check out the blog to keep abreast of the musical adventures of The Singing Nurse.

The Lyrics tab will show you all the lyrics and the inspiration behind the songs.

Jenn’s Story is a page to encourage you if you or your family are living with disabilities.

A portion of the proceeds from this CD will be going to aid: The Hungry and Families Living with HIV/AIDS through “Nazarene Compassionate Ministries”.

I hope you will tell all your teacher contacts, healthcare professionals, parents and friends to purchase:

“The Singing Nurse”, Nurturing Body, Mind, and Spirit CD.

Hope to hear from you soon.

For Healthy Children, Body, Mind and Spirit

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse