It was Bad, Even for Me

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Misers do not throw things away lightly. When a head cold struck, I searched the bathroom closet for something, anything!, to make me feel better. Since my children regularly check for out-dated medications, I was confident nothing dangerous lurked there. I found cough medicine in a new-looking box. The expiration date was December – so far, so good. The year? 2006. It was 12 years old! I moved that box from New York to North Carolina when it was eight years old. Did I think it would improve with age, like wine? I certainly was not improving with age.

A day later, we bought cough syrup in the supermarket. Wouldn’t you think pharmaceuticals would have improved in 12 years? I thought so. I’m still getting worse after three doses. It must not be a miracle drug. I think my eyelids are swollen, because they don’t feel like they fit on my face any more. I would take a selfie if I thought it would prove I’m still alive.

Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

Published

56 thoughts on “It was Bad, Even for Me”

  6. I hope the cough syrup soon starts to work Anne, but if you’re still rough on Monday I hope you’ll consider a trip too the doctor’s to make sure it is just a head cold.You need to be well for Christmas.
    xxx Ginormous Hugs xxx

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  10. Oh no!! I hope you are soon on the mend! My go-to during seasonal illnesses is good old bone broth. I make my own and keep a good stock of it for sipping when we’re feeling punk. Keep pouring the liquids down!!! I’m sending positive vibes your direction!!

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  13. Hope you feel better soon. I didn’t read all the comments but remember the Vicks on the bottoms of your feet in socks at night for the cough. May be an old wives tales but we think it helps some.

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  14. So sorry you’re not feeling well. It’s a bad time to be sick. Festivities and celebrations! As for expiration dates, if it’s within a year, I consider it good. Those dates are guidelines. However 12 years? You get the prize. I did a major cleanout of spices a year ago. Some of the containers had addresses without zip codes. How’s that for old!

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    1. I just bought new limes. I hope that works as well as lemon. My last reply to you did not go through. Maybe this will. I want to know if you will have an English-type Christmas pudding on the 25th. If you have time, could you write about your traditional Christmas celebration?

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      1. We will definitely have traditional English-type Christmas pudding Anne! (no sixpences or tickeys in it though). Because we’re in the midst of summer our Christmas Day fare will be cold. The obligatory ham, maybe a cold fillet (very expensive though – I still have to decide), roast chicken served cold and all the trappings with that – salads of different sorts. For starters it will probably be slices of cold salmon with melon balls and asparagus. And church in the morning! Christmas crackers and other ornaments will adorn the table – do tell about yours!

        I hope you’re getting better day by day …

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        1. You will have a beautiful spread! We’ve had Christmas crackers several times, but they are hard to find here. We will go to church both Christmas Eve and Day. A chicken casserole became our trandition, because we hosted John’s family when we lived in NY. I was the organist/choir director, and we had to have a festive dish for 20 to 30 people that could be made days ahead. The Christmas pudding recipe came from a dear neighbor in England, and it was made well ahead of time. We’ll have those two things this year. We’re not sure who is coming, because I need to sound like a human being before inviting anyone. We could have two to four neighbors and our son and his friend. We might be just us and the two grandsons.

          Wishing you a happy and joyful Christmas!

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  16. Anne, I hope you feel better soon and I am very sorry to hear that you are not feeling well, but I have to tell you, your post made me laugh out loud. You sound just like my hubby! He never throws anything away. I have to go through the medicine cabinet and the refrigerator silently, like a ninja to throw out stuff that is outdated!

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  18. I am not sure if I am miserly or not for my shopping bills would speak otherwise but I do have the habit of keeping and using medicines even after their expiry dates. Not sure how old my oldest medicine is though.
    I know you will be better before Christmas because there is so much of warmth going around.
    Susie

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  19. Hope this finds you better. Our RN daughter checks our labels whenever she visits. Medicine is something I check but not always food labels. Why are cans no good after a certain date? I think sometimes it is to make money! Christmas peace and blessings!

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  20. oh goodness I am so sorry to hear you aren’t well-chicken soup works wonders if eaten several times a day. Oregano oil acts like an antibiotic–but tastes awful, no matter what you do! ask Faye, our expert. Congratulations to David! Take care-I am saying a prayer for you=love love love Michele

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  21. Happy Birthday Anne – I was reading through the comments to get an indication how you and David were doing today. Well I hope you are up to downing some birthday cake and ice cream at least. I am so leery of going past expiration dates and my mother would say to me that I worried too much about my life … hmm. I do read articles from time to time that say the refrigerated items are more of a suggestion as to actual expiration, rather than an actual date. I’m still leery though. My mom could not take cough medicine as she was on other meds and the doctor told her the best cough medicine on the market for anyone was Delsym 12 hour. It has no codeine, but works well and will stop a cough in its tracks. Hope you can stop David’s cough from progressing further … double up on those clementines instead of sticking them in the toe of your Christmas stocking … feel better!

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  23. You are so right, meds aren’t like they used to be. In some areas, they lock them up so the meth makers can’t easily access the stuff. It’s diluted too, so that if they do, they don’t have as strong a product to use. How do I know this? A clerk at Wal Mart told me, so it must be true.
    I don’t know how I missed this post. You sound better in any case, so I’m assuming the worst has passed?

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