I am unstoppable.

If I knew who created this image, I woould be HAPPY to give due credit. It is, unfortunately, already viral throughout social media, and even on t-shirts and caps and such. I did not create this brilliant idea!

Meaning, really, that my SINUSES are unstoppable.

This sux. I had made it through the allergy season, I thought. I'd had some single-nostril congestion; no big deal. I'd had a little post-nasal drip, only at bedtime and upon waking, that cleared up and left my breathing great during the day. I developed a dry cough; more noise than anything. It became a productive cough, and I thought things were clearing up. We LIKE "productive"!

Yesterday, we left the apartment to drive to a part of town we rarely frequent. Ate dinner; visited with some friends; drove home. Walked in the door, and suddenly, the congestion and drip are back! WTF?

Throughout this allergy season, I have been using a neti pot faithfully. I've worked up to the point of using full saline, and draining both nostrils. Last night, I boiled some water and made a full-strength pot. Fought off my sniffles and dripping, and once the water was "cool" enough to work, I tried to use the pot. I was so congested that I could only get one nostril to drain just a little bit before the water just stopped flowing. Would take a break and try the other nostril. Back and forth for what felt like an hour but was probably more like 15 minutes. Didn't quite get the full pot to empty into my nose. Just, no dice. Cat-napped on the couch with my feet up on the back and my head almost hanging off the seat (gravity, anyone?) for a few hours so I wouldn't keep Stephen up. He came out at some point and threw a blanket over me, offering me a pillow, which I figured would defeat my upside-downness, so I declined. Eventually, my sinuses dried up enough for me to sleep open-mouthed, which brings its own new set of issues. When the feline alarm brought Stephen out to fill the food bowl, I went to bed.

Got up this morning and had to IMMEDIATELY jump in the shower and do another full-saline neti pot while there. That helped long enough for me to wrap a towel around myself, but pretty much, once I was "back in the land of the living", so were my congestion and dripping issues.

I've spent the day fighting this stuff. Day-Quil and Claritin; hot tea and juice; about 500 sheets of toilet paper stuffed up one or both nostrils and then flushed when no longer absorbent. Only two "good" sneezes today; honestly wishing for more! I sure hope something kicks in and soon, so that I'll be in full voice for my first day of guiding tours tomorrow!

What's your secret weapon for cold-and-allergy season?