The first wealth is health.

Among many illness I've suffered so far during pregnancy, I hereby claimed that nose blocked was by far the most tormenting. We all fell sick on Friday, which is public holiday here so there's no gynecologist or pediatrician working, only normal 'Tabib Am' or GP available so we had to endure for another day or what's seems to feel like forever. On Saturday, we paid a visit to both gynae and the girls paed, Dr Sandra early in the morning and was given 4 plastic bags full of medicines. 

As for me, the gynae only prescribed Propolis Nasal Spray, a tube of solluble Vitamin C and a box of Pregnacare Multivitamin. I asked for something strong and quick to cure my blocked nose and cold but she said it is not safe. I haven't slept for 2 days straight as of now, I'm not joking!

I spent the whole night staring at my ceiling, then my kids then ceiling again. I'm very very cranky and exhausted. So what's choice left is traditional remedy. After 48 hours being awake, I am so desperate I'd try anything that'd help to drift me off to sleep. 

I started googling remedy for blocked nose and try it one by one starting 10 pm and guess what, some did give temporary solution and kinda help overcome the situation but the problem returns quickly after. After so much efforts and remedies tried out, the most disappointing part is I still found myself wide awake until the next morning, so when my husband came back from night shift at 8 am, I welcomed him with my zombie look and announced that the record has been broken. I hadn't sleep a wink for officially 3 days by now.

Anyway, despite none of it give me no promising results, I would like to share with you all remedies I tried over the night. Perhaps, should any of you suffering blocked nose in a future, this list could be some kind of help. 

Disclaimer : I swear I DID all of this within 8 hours of time! Proves that I am THAT desperate..

Firstly, I used my Nasal Spray to no avail. The blocked came back almost immediately. 

Then I put kapur makan on my nose bridge. It said to be effective to clear any blocked nose. I wanted to put tumeric at first, but I ran out of fresh tumeric. Plus I read, tumeric only give effects on babies, not adults. Applied thin layer of kapur makan, and wait as suggested.

TETTTTTT.... Not working. Nothing happening. Nexttttttt !

Next remedy in my list involving usage of ginger. I haven't had chance to do groceries since came back so I don't have ginger in stock. Ermmm let skip this one.

Another remedy suggests to eat spicy food. It is already 30 minutes pass midnight by now, so I need to make something quick. So I cooked maggee curry with lots of cili padi. Ha ha ha.. boleh lah aperr.. Diligently finished up the whole bowl despite couldn't really taste anything. Okay, because it is spicy, it makes me perspire a bit and the blocked nose did went away while I was eating. Good enough. Unfortunately, my nose back to square one the moment I lay my head on my pillow. I don't mean to be a cry baby over a blocked nose but seriously, maybe because of the pregnancy, the blocked nose is very severe I can't either even hembus it out nor sedut it in, no matter how hard I tried. Please believe me, it is that severed.

So next, another simple exercise that said to relieve blocked nose immediately. Breath out, then you need to pinch your blocked nose, mouth close, hold breath and walk fast until you feel very uncomfortable and had this strong urge to breath. Sit down, spine straight, release your nose but still keep your mouth close and started breath slowly using your nose. Surprisingly, the blocked nose did went away like a magic. I did this a few times and feel very relaxing for once. So I tried the sleeping position suggested. Lay on your left side and do all above except walking fast part. It didn't gave the same effect as before but did help for short period relieve. I am already exhausted by now so I'm taking a break while breathing using my mouth. Oh did I mentioned that since I've been breathing using my mouth for 3 days already, my lips are all chapped and dried up and started to bleed. Sighhhhhhh....

After a while, I dug my Vicks from my medicine basket and applied handsomely to my chest, nose, back, throat and tumit. While doing it, I remembered something. When Alis was very sick months back, I stumbled upon one traditional remedy that's works like wonders using onion. You just need to cut open an onion, place it near somebody who is sick. The onion will absorb the virus because of it's antiseptic feature. I tried once on Alis and she did show tremendous recovery the next day. So I went to kitchen, peel off an onion, put it in a bowl, and placed it near my head, by my bed side and trying to get some sleep. Still cannot sleep.

Got up again, boiled some water, poured it in a big bowl and do face sauna at 2 am in the morning. I felt suffocated but nope, the blocked is pretty much there. Can you believe it??? So, using the left over hot water, I soaked a clean face towel in it and spread it on my face, like a mask.. A few good minutes had passed, the towel started to cool off and I started to shiver, but nnnnnnnnopppeeee... Blocked nose still here..

I am frustrated beyond words by now so I grabbed my phone and search ' Safe flu drugs for pregnancy'. Based on my reading, Sudafed, Clarityn and Clarinase was an okay-ed drugs that helps with congestion. I don't have sudafed but I have Clarityn at home. Anyway, I did checked with my gynae during the visit and she strongly opposed of me taking Clarityn. She said the drugs is not safe and will effect fetal movement. Plus, both me and baby is underweight so she didn't recommend any drugs. Well, it's almost 5 am now, as much as I know and being told that drugs is not good, being awake for 72 hours is not healthy either so I search again for Clarityn consume during second trimester. MOST of the medical facts I found said it is okay to take Clarityn and one opinion said it is okay for Clarityn 24 but not Clarityn D. I am very sure the one I had at home is Clarityn 24 but I have no idea what is Clarityn D. Maybe D is for drowsy because Clarityn 24 is non drowsy type. 

And so I made my decision. 

I perform my subuh prayer first and take one tablet of Clarityn and climb back to bed. This time, surprisingly, I am less agitated. I came to a redha phase. I knew by now nothing I did able to make me sleep. Maybe Allah didn't allow me to sleep for some reason hehehe I have no idea but I know this, if He didn't permit anything it won't happen. I felt more relax surrendering and believing to this thoughts. 

What I did next and for the rest of the day was.. I try to refrain my mind from thinking that I was going to bed to sleep, but to relax. Even rest will do if sleep won't come.. 

And I opened my pocket size Quran and started reading....

Hurmmmm.. maybe that's the hikmah behind it :)

Anyway, I left you with teaser from Turkiye ( as spelled by locals )...