This Friday's Meme

February 20, 2009
Four For Friday

Q1 - Home Remedies: If it's February and you are sick, chances are it just might be the flu. Whenever he feels like he's getting sick, a friend of mine slathers his chest and the bottom of his feet with Vicks VapoRub, and sweats it out in bed while wearing three T-shirts, sweatpants, two pairs of socks, and a hooded sweatshirt. How about you... do you have any unconventional home remedies for dealing with the flu, common cold, headache, upset stomach, etc.?

Yes, apparently I do. I just let the illness run its course for the first three days and then if I'm not improving, I will treat the symptoms empirically. This seems to be unconventional due to the fact that too many people start taking drugs immediately to dispell the discomfort. I am more of a believer that allowing your body to fight it is healthier. But after three days, it is time to call in the cavalry.

Q2 - Give it Up: I've had the same pocket wallet for nearly 25 years, and while I know I should, I absolutely refuse to give it up for a newer one. Have you owned something for far too long... something you know you should get rid of but can't?

Oh, sure. I'm sure everyone has. I had a jacket that I wore to shreds until there just wasn't any patching or resuscitating it. Same with my first pair of EMT boots. I loved them, but once there were holes in the uppers, the chance for contagion getting into the holes was too high. The last thing I want is for blood to get in to a hole in my boots and I get Hep C...

Q3 - Blood Banking: For the last 10 years or so, Florida-based Cryo-Cell International has been providing families the opportunity to cryogenically preserve their newborn's umbilical cord blood stem cells in a safe and secure environment. The service, called U-Cord, allows parents to preserve the cells for the potential future medical benefit of the family, or donate the blood for research or use by a third party. Would you consider banking your newborn's umbilical cord blood stem cells?

Hmmmm. That would be some miracle, since I plan never to reproduce. But in a "what if" scenario... I'd be fine with banking the cells. Why not? People donate blood autologously all the time, so what is the big deal about this?

Q4 - Be Careful!: When a waiter or waitress tells you to be careful because the plate they just placed in front of you is hot, do you touch the plate to see how hot it is?

Uh, no. Being an EMT has taught me that people usually mean it when they warn you about something! We've eaten at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and you can HEAR the juices crackling and sizzling from the heat. Well, duh! I don't need to touch it.

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