DH is sick and we're leaving on Saturday!! Help!

[mjaclyn]

Help!! DH just came down with a bad cold and we're leaving for WDW on Saturday!! It's going to be completely miserable for us if DD 10 mos and I catch his cold. Does anyone have any advice on how we can get DH better fast? Also, how DD and I can stay away from the germs without locking DH in the bedroom? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[EmcDuckRN]

Basics.

He: Needs to drink lots of fluids. throw away his own tissues, washes his hands regularly, covers when he coughs and sneezes and gets lots of rest.

Everyone else:
#1 Needs to make sure that you don't stress (that weakens the immune system!) So watch some funny cartoons or shows!

#2 Cut down on sugar, (I've seen more than one study that shows that a soda pop can drop your immune function for 4-6 hours

#3 You wash your hands regularly. Especially before touching any mucous membranes, eyes nose, mouth.

And that is my professional ( Registered Nurse's)opinion!

[caryrae]

One thing that works great for my wife and I is Cold MD. You are suppose to take at the start of a cold or if you want to boost your imune system. It helps lessen the severity of a cold and make you better in a short time. Of course your baby can't take it. It sold at Walmart, here is a little info on it:

Manufacturer's Description
New doctor-formulated Cold MD is an immune system support formula shown to increase your resistance by over 300% and helps you recover 94% faster. A clinical study of the key ingredient combination in Cold MD showed subjects reduced the frequency of cold episodes and in the same study, subjects reduced the duration of episodes by an average of more than 3 days (versus less than 2 days against the placebo. With results like this, you won't ever want to be without Cold MD!

Cold MD is the world's only immune system support formula that:
Increases immune system resistance by 312 percent
Helps you recover 94 percent faster
Is medical doctor-formulated and approved
Has clinically proven results
Is used daily for maximum support and protection
Contains natural ingredients
Is 100 percent drug-free
Is non-drowsy
The all-in-one formula can be taken three ways: First, when taken on a daily basis, Cold MD provides maximum immune system support. Second, Cold MD can also be taken at the first sign of immune system weakness twice daily for 3 to 4 days for immune system support, helping you recover 94 percent faster. Third, it can also be taken before entering crowded public places such as buses, restaurants, schools, airplanes, or trains for increased immune system support.

[Pipalotta]

AIRBOURNE! That stuff is like the best since it is a super shot of lots of vitamins. You as well as your husband should take it. Also make sure you disinfect any common areas such as door knobs, phones, the fridge handle.

[Mfarquar]

Oh, that's awfuL! I'm not a doctor or anything, but I do have a disease which causes me to take a bit longer recovering from things, and I have found the following to help a lot:

1.) Drink lots and lots of water.

2.) If you have more than one bathroom in your house, confine your husband to just ONE. On top of the hand washing, tissue wrangling, etc., keeping separate bathrooms has helped my family A LOT when germs are going around.

3.) For colds, Zicam has helped me a lot. It's a large dosage of zinc, which supposedly weakens or shortens the lifespan of a cold virus. There are varying studies on zinc's effect, but I have found it to work. Just stick with the tablets you ingest, I heard one study that said that using the nasal swabs they sell can alter your sense of smell for awhile.

4.) Sleep and Eat Well - Make sure your husband gets LOT of sleep! Especially if he's going to work, etc., he needs to get plenty of rest to fight the cold. Lots of protein and veggies to give your body fuel to fight whatever is making it ill. Same goes for the rest of the family - not getting rest can really weaken the immune system!

5.) Keep an eye on the cold. Make sure it doesn't turn out to be anything WORSE that requires prescription medication (green mucus, persistent coughs, etc.)

6.) Have your husband use Afrin or a nasal spray about 20 mins. before the flight if he is still stuffy - it will relieve congestion pressure which may prove to be painful while up in the air.

7.) My doctor said a great way to make sure you don't catch a cold is to make sure that your nasal passages are not dry. I guess when they are dry, they tend to let germs in. He suggests using a simple, non-medicated nasal saline spray (like Ocean) to keep them moisturized during cold season.

Hopefully none of you will catch it! Your husband has a good amount of time to recover before Saturday, so hope he's feeling better by your trip! Good luck and enjoy!

[GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip]

NyQuil! It cuts the length of my colds to just 2 to 3 days.

[Dyanna]

Definately Airborne! Its the best stuff around!!!

[goofyfan4466]

i hope your husband gets better & nobody else gets sick . try not to stress too much!!!

[pixiesmimi]

We always seem the get sick while there or on our way back. This time I took plenty of germicidal hand wash and cloths and I took Airborne twice a day. I thought about all those hand rails you touch every day. DH catches everything that comes along so I didn't want him to get sick this time and ruin it. We also drank the immunity drink mix for your water (Kool-aide or something). I did everything I could think about to boost our immune systems. Hadn't heard that about the sugar though. That is something to think about.

After our trip in June, DGS 1 came down with the croup and a cold and the rest of us caught it later. DH, who didn't even go on the trip, got the worst of it. So I was determined to try to avoid as much of that as I could this time. A lot of times while in the ride waiting lines, I would use a germicidal hand wipe in my hand while walking up by the rail or holding on to it just to help keep some of the germs off. It is amazing how much more we think about germs these days. When I was growing up, we never thought about this and didn't get sick very often. Now it is rampant. I think we are doing it to ourselves.

[The Bookseller]

Here's the for a fast recovery!

[Tinkerfreak]

I say lock him in the bedroom!! Just kiddin! When DH or I is sick we do try to stay in our bedroom as much as possible and use our master bathroom while the healthy person uses the regular bathroom. I also make sure to wipe down all the door knobs, remotes, and telephones. On our last trip we all took Airborne a few days before we left and while we were on our trip and it is the first year that no one got sick while we were there.

[January-2007]

Ack! I hope your DH gets better soon and your little girl doesn't catch it! Lots of on its way!!!

[mudpuppysmom]

I have always started taking Airborne about a week before we go anywhere and continue to take it while I'm away. Each time DS and I go to WDW he knows that the "sprite" (that is what he calls it) is coming each morning.....and he drinks it like a champ! Now they make "pixie sticks" for kids (but not as young as yours). I take the pixie sticks too -- they are quicker and you just down them (yeah, they are sugary tasting, but oh well)...the sticks are easier than dissolving the tabs in water, plus they pack easier. I was a big skeptic at first, but now I take it with us each trip.

Give that to you DH and tell him to drink LOTS of water.

DS just had a cold last week.....three days of AIrborne and he was fine!

[Mommy2boys]

No advice... just wishing he gets better

[tinksmom02]

NyQuil! It cuts the length of my colds to just 2 to 3 days.

I agree with you...the only problem is that I'm generally in a coma twenty minutes after I take it LOL

Dayquil really helps me during the day, as well.

[julieunruly]

Take 1,000 mg. of vitamin C per day. I do this whenever I feel like I'm coming down with a cold and it really helps.

Good luck.

[DisneyDudet]

When I feel it, I pump myself with Airborne, 3x a day, as well as Zicam Nasal Spray Gel. It really helps, and I'm better in about a day. I rarely go to a Dr, and I can't take OTC cold remedies. This is what I've found to work for me.

Of course, you need to wash your hands and make sure shared items are cleaned well. Changing the sheets, pillowcases, and tooth brushes are always a good thing to do in times like these, because you don't want to be infecting you or anyone else continually over and over.

Hope he gets to feeling better! As a nurse, I get exposed to so much, and I've found this to work for me very well!

[MNNHFLTX]

I recommend going back to the basics:

Drink plenty of water
Get lots of rest
HANDWASHING is key for all of you!

And even though the scientific community is on the fence about the benefits of Vitamin C, I've had friends that rave about EmergenC, a Vitamin C booster powder that you reconstitute in water. Also, a decongestant will help make your husband feel better while traveling. Of course, there's not too much you can give your daughter because she's so young, but hopefully if you are vigilant about the hand-washing she will be fine. Just in case, though, you might want to bring along an special decongestant, like Pediacare. They do have OTC medications at the hotel gift shops but there is not a huge variety and it is expensive.

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

I have a weakened immune system so I can't afford to get sick. If you do what the RN posted you should be fine. Also I have my DH sleep in another room and make sure that the dishwasher is on sanitize.

Hope he gets to feeling better and you have a wonderful trip.

[vamaggie]

Whenever I feel a cold coming on I power load Vitamin C--1000 mg in the am, at lunch, at dinner and at bed. Seems to work for me. I also Lysol EVERYTHING! If DH can't be confined to the bedroom, whenever he gets up (from the couch, chair, bed etc) hit it with some Lysol. Wash hands as much as possible and get lots of rest. Have a great trip!