Being sick in Switzerland...

So I struggled into work yesterday, although in hindsight I think I should not have, being the germ factory that I still am. It gave me some solace to find out that I am not the only one sick, the lone sniffle and coughs from colleagues in the corner were strangely comforting.

Sitting on the couch this evening, blowing my brains out into little packages of tissues because we have long run out of the boxed variety, I realized that this must be the time of year to get sick, as I was sick just after we arrived in Switzerland, sick like a dog.... ah yeah, I remember those days...

(Queue the flashback sequence with clouds and music and bubbly sounds...)

I had just arrived, and instead of running through the hills of Switzerland with braids in my hair, I was stuck on the tiny faux leather maroon couch in the temporary apartment, coughing up a lung while trying to get some air, disappointingly finding my lungs full of the cigar smoke that wafted through the drafty mid-century floorboards. After struggling for a few days, I begged Jace to drag me down to the Chemist so that I could get some Cold and Flu tablets.

Low and behold, it's not that easy here in Switzerland.

What one pill handles in the US, you need at least 4 boxes full of remedies for here in Switzerland. I had a spray to stop the sniffles, a powder to reduce the fever, (natural/herbal) sinus capsules to reduce the sinus pressure and congestion and I believe a stuffed rabbit that I had to swing around my head while chanting "Gesundheit" 12 times. No, just kidding, it was some kind of super vitamin, herbal remedy thing that in hindsight probably worked as well as the rabbit would have. For some reason there is no such thing as a 12 hour pill here either - everything has to be taken 4 times a day with water and a magic rabbit - oh, so that's what it was for. Thank goodness I didn't have to work then or else I still might be sick for lack of time.

Thank goodness it is not nearly that bad this time - but then again, I still have some of the magic potions and they have gone to good use throughout the last 12 months ... now if only I kept all the package inserts (in 5 languages, not including English) so that I could recall what all those pills are for.... hmm... where's that magic rabbit now?

(Ps. A few weeks ago my Mom sent me some Advil Cold & Sinus, yes the stuff you need a driver's license to buy now at Walgreens - the good stuff, so I will survive!)