Accepting help and Guggle-Muggles

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For the past few days I have been lying in bed with flu.  Unusually for me, I don’t remember the last time I had something that laid me so low.  I have had operations and major health events in the past, but not for some years.  I can vaguely remember having the ‘Asian Flu’ in 1956(?) and I don’t think I’ve had fever since then.  I feel pretty rotten.

The thing that this has meant is that I have had to suddenly rely on my husband for cups of tea, food and general supplies.  I am a very bad patient.  I really hate asking for anything. I have said previously that I prefer to go to bed and emerge when I felt better.  This works fine when I’m unwell for a few hours, but now I’m on my fourth day of incapability so I’ve had no choice but to to ask for things.

I see how irritated I get at having to ask and how irritated I am when I am asked if I want things.  This dependence is not my natural state. Lazy – yes.  Dependent – no.

What have I learned so far?

·      My husband is a saint – he is patient and caring and seems to be happy to run up and down the stairs to bring me endless cups of tea.

·      Hot tea with lemon and honey does help – for years I have insisted that I hate the stuff and lo and behold, I am asking for it every few hours.

·      Running fever feels lousy.

·      It is possible to go for three days without washing your hair or looking in a mirror.

·      I do not have to push myself to be better right away.  I have tried to get up and even venture into the kitchen, but I am not ready yet.

·      I am very grumpy.

·      I absolutely crave carbohydrate laden foods. Oh well….

When I was a kid in the Bronx my dad had a nostrum to soothe sore throats that he would make with great fanfare and I had to drink.  He always introduced this as treat, but my brother and I do not really remember it that way. My parents always called it a guggle muggle.  I guess I figured they invented this since it was so outrageous and awful, but now I can look things up on the internet I discovered that it was a standard Eastern European cure for colds and sore throats. I googled guggle muggle and came up with thousands of entries. 

In case anyone is tempted here is the recipe:

Guggle muggle (one serving)

Heat 1 cup milk until it is warm but not scorched.

Add 1 tbsp. honey,

Add 1 raw egg yolk

1 tsp. or more brandy (optional but would sure knock the kids out)

Whisk until all the ingredients are mixed.

Serve warm and with much coaxing!

I have no evidence to prove this worked, but the threat of having to drink this seemed to improve my sore throat immediately.

Now, as an adult, when I read this recipe I can see that it is remarkably similar to egg nog – no wonder I could never face egg nog at Christmas!  I’ll stick to herbal teas, preferably made by me.

Tomorrow I am willing myself better.