Thursday, February 10, 2011

Getting the Cold Shoulder

Over the last five years Barry and I have come down with our few winter colds simultaneously, usually after spending time with one of his grandchildren (most kids are little germ factories).  This week, however, I seem to be hatching one by myself, and Barry's hypochondria is running wild.

In a way this is very relaxing.  Since he doesn't want me contaminating anything he eats, he's been doing all the cooking or taking me to restaurants.  Today he did the laundry himself so I wouldn't infect his clean clothing.  He's even been feeding the cat, although I heard her sneeze tonight, so she may have picked up her own upper respiratory ailment.  Other manifestations of his fear are less welcome; he's sleeping on the futon in the front room and trying not to get within three feet of me.

I'm pretty sure these precautions are useless since from what I've read, a cold sufferer is most likely to pass the virus on to others in the two or three days before the symptoms appear.  If he's going to catch this cold from me, he's probably already incubating it.

I just hope that he'll either start sniffling or decide he's safe before Saturday night.  We have tickets for an early Valentine's dance and we won't be able to waltz three feet apart.

"A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. " ~Ogden Nash

No comments:

Post a Comment