What Do Spaghetti and Chest Congestion Have In Common? Oregano!

A good friend, who knew I've spent all winter battling bouts and pockets of flu-like yuckiness, dropped off a little gift for me yesterday. A little baggie (she's BIG on baggies and boxes and all things to compartmentalize our lives...we're alike in this!) with a bottle labeled "Oil of Oregano" and an information sheet with dosages, etc.

Now, I'm Italian you see, and oregano is a seasoning I'm well familiar with and it has, on many occassions played a part in helping me feel preeeety dang good (the smells of my childhood comfort foods are wafting through my memories right now), but never have I heard of it having any true medicinal properties.

As a card-carrying skeptic I would probably have not even tried this except that I was desperate. My throat was closed up, Mucinex wasn't touching my congestion and not even Nyquil nor Montana cough syrup *nod to Gumbo Lily* could help me to sleep comfortably because of a lovely dry, hacking cough that seems to accompany any illness I ever have. (I tell my mother it's because I have "weak lungs" from growing up in a smoker's house. Shame on me for putting that guilt on her...but I do.) So, I thought...what could it hurt to try some of this stuff?

According to the directions, I put about 5 drops in a glass of grape juice and chased that with a big glass of water. The smell alone would have dropped a lesser woman to her knees, I think. Not "bad" but so strong! Like snorting marinara sauce. I also dribbled 2-3 drops on my fingers and rubbed into my neck and chest thinking it might work like Vick's Vaporub to stop my coughs. I was a little worried at first because my skin was tingling and even grew a bit warm and pink. I wondered if it was going to cause a reaction or something on my skin and what it would take to get that thick oil off. But that wasn't necessary as it settled into a nice warm feeling around my neck and chest.

All I can say is that I slept like a baby. Dh told me I barely coughed all night (poor thing is such a light sleeper that if I even so much as sigh he wakes up) which is saying something. In addition I can feel the congestion breaking up all day and was clearing alot of the yuck out of my chest (sorry...I know it's gross, but life's messy).

I decided to do a little MORE research on it to see what others had to say. I ran into the usual wacky claims of it's "miracle" properties, but I also came upon some solid information too. It's a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way. I'm planning to keep this in my medicine cabinet for years to come as it's reported to have antiseptic, antifungal and immune boosting properties and more.

I'm not sure I'll look at oregano the same way again. I'll have to remember to send my friend a special thank you card! (though I hate to admit when she's right...she'll never let me hear the end of it! Do any of you have a friend like that? LOL)

****EDIT March 16th - While the O of O is helping to break up the congestion, I am still very sick. I didn't want to leave this entry sounding like it was a cure-all or over selling it's properties. :-)