A battle worth fighting… overcoming Tonsillitis once and for all!
On the 24th we officially launched the Vee for Life website!
I was ecstatic. I experienced a mixture of feelings including joy, excitement, relief – all positive. And then, it hit! The dreaded Tonsillitis.
I have had it a few times before. In fact, the last time was 2 years ago, about this time of year, although that time I didn’t just get it once, I got it twice and it was crippling. At that time I had two young, unforgiving children and a husband that was under the pump with work commitments. On that occasion, I opted for the antibiotics after a week and a half, which cleared it up pretty quickly. Until… it came back! About 3 weeks later.
I was devastated. I didn’t muck around when it returned with a vengeance – I went straight back to the doctor and got another course of antibiotics quick smart. This time they truly did the trick to get rid of the Tonsillitis, but on the other hand, my immune system and gut health was shot. I felt it took months to get over those two courses of antibiotics and I vowed the next time – if there ever was a next time – I would tackle it head-on in the hope of avoiding taking antibiotics again.
So this time, after I realised what was going on and managed to get over the feelings of annoyance and dread for what was coming, I decided I was ready. I was going to fight this thing head on and make sure I did the things the logical part of my brain knew would speed up my recovery. So, I got cosy in bed and let the wave of nausea, fever and chills set in.
The first 48 hours or so was really hard. The swing between shivering and shaking, and sweating through the sheets was steep. Then at 4am on the second morning, I woke with a feeling that things were on the up. I had been asleep for quite a few hours straight and I was dripping wet. I was actually really confused, to be honest. I actually considered for a brief moment if one of the kids had come in during the night and tipped water on me, only to quickly realise that I was feeling quite a bit better. I showered, changed, gathered some fresh sheets and avoided all temptation to get too enthusiastic about the situation.
While I laid there waiting to fall back to sleep, I gave myself a good talking to. That was a relatively short rollercoaster as far as Tonsillitis goes, so from here on in, I needed to stay focused on what I needed to do to recover as quickly as possible. So, here it is…
1. Water, water and more water
2. Vee For Life Healing Broth at least twice per day
3. Warm saltwater gargles every 2 hours
4. Consumed raw garlic at least once a day
5. Diffused DoTERRA Essential Oils – On Guard & Easy Air
6. Panadol/Neurofen 6 hourly
7. And, good ol’ fashioned rest!
Often we experience headaches and body aches with an illness like Tonsillitis, but don’t realise that it has something to do with the dehydration resulting from fever. I consciously drank lots of water. I didn’t just have a sip every now and again, I did my best to drink as much as I could without making myself feel nauseous.
The broth, in particular, was a big win. I had a few jars of it frozen from a big cook up a few weeks before. I started to defrost them as soon as I knew I was unwell and then added hot water to 1/2 a cup at least twice per day. This broth is jam-packed full of nutrients that will help heal your gut and also nourish your body, especially in times when you are unable to consume solid foods.
The warm saltwater gargles provided relief from the sore throat (and I believe also cleared away the pus (sorry!) from my tonsils as quickly as possible).
Next… the raw garlic…. I know what you are thinking! Urgh! It’s awful. It burns. You have to crunch it up with your teeth before swallowing. The taste and smell lingers, but it works. I warn you though, do not, I repeat DO NOT eat raw garlic on an empty stomach! You will vomit! And vomiting raw garlic is way worse than actually eating it. To make sure I had some food lining my tummy before the garlic arrived I had a piece of dry bread washed down with the Vee For Life Healing Broth.
DoTERRA On Guard provides a natural and effective alternative for immune support when used internally. I chose to diffuse this essential oil next to the bed which helped purify the air and can be both energizing and uplifting. I combined this oil with Easy Air (Breathe) which I find calms the senses and promotes restful sleep while clearing my airways. Beyond everything else, the smell of these essential oils, makes me feel cosy.
Panadol and Neurofen… well they go without saying. I’m sensitive to anything stronger but I find in particular the Neurofen helps with the painful sore throat that is inevitable with Tonsillitis.
And finally… good ol’ fashioned rest. When you get hit with an illness like Tonsillitis, you need to surrender and allow your body to rest. It’s hard, believe me, I know! Karen and I had just launched our gorgeous site that we had been working on for months and months, and all I wanted to do was keep moving forward with that, riding the wave of excitement. But I also knew that was just not going to happen.
Sometimes, we have to resign to the fact that we don’t always have control. Sometimes all we can do is rest!
And, so that is what I did. I allowed my body to rest and am pleased to say that it was a relatively quick recovery as far as Tonsillitis goes. Plus, for the first time, I recovered antibiotic free and I am hopeful that this may have been enough for my body to fight off any future niggle of this dreaded illness!
Tell us, what tips do you have to overcome illness?
