When the rest of campus is dropping like flies, from the Sem to DuLac, the sniffles are spreading around Stonehill fast. We all know that dorm life severely restricts what items you can have on hand. When that medicine cabinet at home is miles away, here’s a list of essentials you or your roommate should have to beat the cold before it intensifies.
Tissues, tissues… and more tissues. This is especially important if you don’t have a car on campus. If you have a tendency to catch the cold at this time of year, make sure that between you and your roommate you have at least three boxes on hand. Either that, or make friends with people who do have them. When you have a runny, irritated nose, realizing you just ran through your last box is the last thing you want to have to deal with.
Mucinex. Mucinex in, mucus out. Your airways will feel so much clearer, making daily treks much easier.
Tylenol. When you feel overheated, headachy and totally not in the mood to go to class, this baby might make paying attention to your profs that much easier.
Afrin. It’s a nose spray that “relieve[s] nasal discomfort… sinus congestion and pressure” (www.nlm.nih.gov). Use it when you wake up and after dinner and just might look less like Rudolph for a few hours. No guarantees, though.
Water. Borrow a hall / suitemate’s Brita filter if you don’t have one so you can keep hydrated without having to leave your room.
Saltine crackers. You may lose your appetite, but you still need to fuel your body so that it can beat your cold. Crackers are the easiest on your stomach when you feel nauseous.
If you develop a fever (anything greater than 99.6) or feel like what you’re suffering from is more than just the common cold, don’t hesitate to go to Health Services in the Chapel of Mary. It’s free (and by free, I mean part of our tuition), so utilize it. The nurses would rather see you come in for something minor than brush off your sickness as a cold when really it’s something more. Just make sure to call ahead and make an appointment. Their hours are 8:30 am – 4:15 pm Monday – Friday.
If your cold develops into something more over the weekend, you can always consult Compass Medical. If you’re not sure if your illness is something more serious, first check out Stonehill’s Self Care Guide (http://campus.stonehill.edu/health/sgc_main.htm), and then call your primary care at home for advice if you’re still unsure. Most medical practices have nurses on-call at all hours just to answer your questions.
And if you’re just plain suffering from a cold, power through it, collegiettes. Getting as much sleep as possible is key to feeling better fast. Be selective about what classes you go to. A 50-minute in Martin from the O? You probably should. An hour-fifteen in the Science Center from New Hall? As much of a consolation Dunks is, maybe not. Use your discretion about how often you leave the building and how much work you should put off until you get better. Just keep in mind that the less chances you take to rest now, the more time it will take to get better, which will mean having even less energy. And that’ll just lead to missing more class, putting off more homework, and getting more behind in everything—not to mention royally pissing off your roommate. So take some “you” time for as long as you can until you feel better.