How to stand by your significant other when they’re sick: The winter cold edition

By S.Rowe

So no one likes to appear weak and vulnerable, especially your typical man!  However, when you are so congested you can’t answer the phone and too bleary-eyed to text back, you are wearing your weakness on your sleeve if not broadcasting it.

Using your intuition to make your partner feel better when they are under-the-sheets sick will bring you closer together.  The first barrier to break down is getting over your germaphobia. They are not necessarily contagious!  Make it clear that you do no mind getting coughed on, but do provide the tissues and garbage can bed-side. Making soup or tea always helps beat a cold and fever.

My favorite home cure is raw honey, which is a natural antibiotic, with a few fresh squeezed lemons for vitamin C if you are making tea. Use a plain tea, as they probably can’t taste fancy tea flavors. If they can’t sleep, try a hot toddy (just add whiskey, cinnamon or clove to the original). You can also try a heating pad with the window open so they can sweat it out and feel the breeze of the outside world at the same time.

Taking drugstore vitamins such as zinc may help, but getting them from fresh fruits or vegetables is easier for your body to absorb.  As far as tea goes, if they are lethargic and needs a boost, green or black tea is still healthy even though there is a minimal amount of caffeine.  The antioxidants from herbal tea also help so that they will start screaming for their personal assistant again in a few short days.

You can be lazy and buy some campbells, or you can buy fresh carrots, celery, onions, garlic (anything that wards away vampires and other women), make a chicken broth / rue, and hope his taste buds are so shot from his sickness that he will drink down the healthy stuff and save the filet for another time. If you live near a deli, matzo ball soup is also recommended.

When it’s your turn to get sick (maybe you even get sick monthly, cough cough!), your partner will be more understanding and reciprocate this type of special, slightly snotty and not always super romantic type of concern and attention. If all home remedies fail, laughter is the best medicine to a happy healthy relationship…as well as a trip to the doctor for that good stuff!