Viral annoyance

I have a cold.

2 days ago, it was a basic runny nose, slightly sore throat sort of thing. In fact, contra dancing made it feel better. No big deal.

Yesterday, I woke up unable to sing any interval above a mid G without cracking. My choir was singing the 8:30 service at my church, so I joined the baritones. I didn't have to reach for a low C. In case you're wondering why this is shocking, my normal comfort range is low F to high B. I sing tenor on occasion, but I can never use full voice on the low parts the way I was yesterday. By the end of the day yesterday, I couldn't sing at all. I was a little stuffy, but mostly it was a slightly sore/mucousy throat.

This morning, I woke up to the full-blown cold. I'm going through about 6-10 tissues an hour. I would say that sneezing hurts my throat, but really, doing nothing hurts my throat. Sneezing just makes the pain briefly agonizing. No fever, no chills, nothing serious -- just highly annoying coldish existence.

This is highly annoying to me. Yes, this would be annoying to anyone. The thing bothering me is that I'm pretty sure how I got it (spending the weekend before last with my sister (who works in a hospital as a juvenile psychologist), her husband (a high school teacher), and their son (in the hospital daycare). I spent 4 days with the ultimate virus-sharing family. I got a cold virus.

The other thing bothering me is that I'm doing everything right (well, not everything -- staying out until 1:30 for dancing wasn't smart) and it's not going away. I've doubled my vitamin B/C intake. I've been drinking cold care tea. I slept in this morning (Labor Day closing the gym helps in forcing this). I've eaten well and drunk lots of water. I'm in good shape and generally healthy. And it's not going away! It's getting worse!

Yes, I understand how this happens. I know that my immune system is picking up and will clear it out in its own time. I even know that yesterday afternoon was the beginning of the secondary bacterial infection in the nasal mucosa. Yet, knowing all this, there's nothing I can do.

It's highly annoying to know that nothing you know is going to help.