Last winter my mother came down with a very intense cold. She is on medication to control her blood pressure so it is difficult for her to take over the counter medications. She is also eighty seven years old so even a common cold is serious. We called the clinic to talk with her doctor; he stated that the cold needed to run its course. He suggested that mom get plenty of rest, take in plenty of fluids, and that she could take a non aspirin pain reliever. I told my mom that I would go to the store and pick up some soup and juice for her. On the way to the store I decided that I would also pick up a movie that we could watch together.
When I arrived at the store I ran into a Catholic nun that has been a friend of our family for many years. She inquired how mom was doing. I explained to Sister that mom was not doing very well right now because of the cold. She told me that she had great herbal remedies that worked well for people that could not take the over the counter drugs. She stated that the herbal remedies where safe for people with high blood pressure. She said that the majority of the herbal remedies were in the form of tea. I told her that mom like drinking hot teas so this would be a good thing for her. Sister made arrangements to come over to see mom later in the day and that she would bring along some of the teas. She wanted to know what mom’s symptoms were so that she would bring the best herbal remedies. I explained that mom had a cough, and sore throat along with the runny nose. Sister said that she had just the right thing and that it would also help mom to get rest.
I picked up the things that mom needed and went back to her apartment. I made us a light lunch of soup and crackers and then put in the movie for us to watch. I told mom that Sister would be stopping over to bring some herbal remedies. Mom said that she was willing to try anything because she was really feeling miserable.
Sister brought over several tea bags. I put on the tea kettle and took out the tea pot so that I could steep the tea. Sister explained that it was very important to let the tea steep for at least 15 minutes before drinking it. We added a teaspoon of honey to the tea and gave mom a cup. After about 45 minutes mom said that she was very tired. Sister left and I helped mom into her bedroom. She slept for four hours. When she woke up she was feeling a bit better. She ate more soup and drank another cup of soup and put on her pajamas and went to bed. She slept through the night and was much better in the morning. We did not know if it was Sister’s herbal remedies or the rest, but we were glad that the cold symptoms were improved.
