The Tauz Gets Douched... Nasally.

Last week I got hit with some nasty congestion and a cough that I thought were due to my seasonal and animal-related allergies. As it turns out, it was a cold, and last Monday it knocked me on my ASS. I got up feeling like hell, but soldiered on into work. Since I was operating through a haze of misery, I knew I wasn't going to make it through a whole day, so I did my daily duties and totally bailed at lunchtime.

On my way out the door Joe suggested that I try some nasal irrigation with a Neti pot. For the uninitiated, this is an ancient little device that gently shoots warm saline through your sinuses and rinses out the impurities, leaving your nasal cavities cleansed and refreshed. Some call it nasal irrigation, but I think that sounds way too scientific. I prefer to call it Nasal Douching (tee-hee!). Cuz I'm a child and the word "douching" makes me giggle.

I took Joe's advice and stopped by my Health Food Store on my bleary way home and purchased a Neti Pot (TM) and some sea salt. I went home, prepared some saline and got ta douchin' my sinuses.

I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to come out of your mouth at all, so I must work on my form. The Proper Head-Tilt Technique is essential to the success of this procedure, and I clearly have not mastered it.

And to prove it, here's two video clips I took of my first experience with Nasal Douching. Warning: this is borderline gross. I'm posting it because it makes me laugh, and I think others will appreciate the awkward comedy inherent in life's little moments like this. If you don't want to hear me cough and choke on my own snot and some saline, I suggest you skip the vid's. But if you're game... I hope it entertains you as much as it does me.

My favorite part of the first one is the creepy breathing I bust out. Sounds like a stalker on the other end of the phone or something skeevy like that.

First the left nostril...


And then the right...



You can't really see my favorite part of the second take, but it definitely happened. The part were the only thing in the frame is my arm moving around? Yeah. That's me putting my hand down in the tub to support myself and realizing that I've just put my hand in the remnants of the stuff I just douched out of Nostril #1. Then I awkwardly come to terms with it and continue on, with my hand in a puddle of my own filth, so to speak.

After the second try, my camera batteries died, so I didn't get the 3rd try, which makes me sad, because it was as hilarious as the second, AND Loban made a comment as he walked by that would have been priceless to capture on video. He incredulously asked "You taking pictures of that?!?" To which I responded (through snot-and-saline-dripping lips) "Nah. Video."

"Aw, jeez..." is all he could muster as he continued back down the stairs.

But anyways, if you thought that was funny, then you MUST check the following clip out. Molyneaux showed me this a few months ago when he first told me of his Neti Pot. This video features the husband of Natalie Dee, the lady who has a few hilariously quirky websites worth checking out. Click her name and give 'em a look some time. But this clip is hilarious and it involves him using a Neti Pot.



If those weren't enough to quench your thirst for nasal-related comedy, just go to YouTube and search "Neti Pot". Some peoples' experiences are even more entertaining than mine was...

As for me, I will continue to use my Neti Pot when I get congested and my sinuses feel like they're on fire. The goofy little gadget actually helped me to feel better for a couple of hours, and once I get the technique down, I think I'll be all set.

Here's to Sinus Health! Cheers!