Hi girls, there's been a lot of vents popping up and I've enjoyed reading them and helping out when I can, I hope you can do the same to me.

First off, I've been sick for the past month. Just the common cold, but I haven't been able to shake it. On top of that, the antibiotics I received from the doctor 3 weeks ago haven't helped. The helped with most things, but I haven't been able to shake this stupid cough I've accumulated! It started as a dry cough, but since then it's becoming not so dry. I can feel the phlegm on my lungs and I can't bring it up, its driving me insane!! Have any of you got any tips to help clear my airways?

Secondly, I start my mid-year exams on Tuesday. It's my final year - year 12 - and I'm stressed to the max with them. I mean I've only got one mid-year and the GAT. In Australia, mid-year exams are only for science subjects - well that's the way in Victoria anyway, so mine is Biology. I feel soo under prepared for it. I know the stuff, its just putting it together in a response that gets me full marks!

On top of that, I have the pain of knowing after I finish exams next week, I've got 3 SACS (Self-Assessment Courses) in the following 2 weeks! I'm most worried about my PE SAC. I know the stuff, but I have such high standards for myself, that I'm truly disappointed in the result I got in my last PE SAC. I understand that 29/40 is not a bad score, but for me, it is. My teacher rolled his eyes and tried to reassure me it wasn't a bad score, but if I get bad again, I don't know what I'll do. I want a near perfect end of year score for PE and I know my SAC marks only account for about 33% of my final mark, but I can't help feel that if I don't get top scores that I won't get the score I want end of year.

My rant/vent was longer than I anticipated, but I suppose when I got started I couldn't stop.
If any of you wonderful ladies have any advice/words of encouragement I will greatly appreciate them. I'm feeling really down and stressed and I just... I don't know.. I'm in a funk that I can't seem to get out of.

About the lung gunk...
Is it worse in the morning when you get up, when you get ready for bed, when you go outside, or just the same all the time?

Have you tried allergy medicine rather than cold medicine?

Has your doctor checked your heart?


About Grades...
Do your best, no one, including yourself, should ask more of you.

I'm not really one for medications, so the best cold/general sickness remedy I've found is tea. Chamomile and Mint (mixed) with honey. Chamomile is really good for you, mint helps dry things up, honey sweetens it and is also good for you.

I tell people to drink tea when they have broken bones though...

I feel your pain on the grades. Try doing a few practice test Q/A. It helps you get used to organizing your thoughts in essay/short answer form. I took an AP (college level) class and there was a test at the end of the year covering everything. We did practice exams in class and practice essays, and it really helped. I found the test easy and was the first one done when I wasn't the best in the class.

Hope this helps!

1. A "common cold" is a virus, and the majority of viruses last no more than 7-10 days. So...you don't have a common cold, you have something else. Perhaps allergies or a bacterial infection (sinus infection, bronchitis, or pneumonia).

2. Not sure what drugs are available where you are, but if you're having cold symptoms or allergy symptoms (runny nose, itchy watery eyes, sneezing, w/NO fever) Claritine (Loratadine) would be very helpful. You can buy this over-the-counter in the U.S. Allergy testing would be the next step.

3. If you're running fever at all, you should go back to your doctor. It's possible that you have an infection that was unresponsive to the first round of antibiotics, or you could have started with a virus and then developed a secondary bacterial infection. In either case, you need the appropriate antibiotics to get well.

4. Ask your doctor to order a chest xray. It will show bronchitis, and/or pneumonia.

Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon!

@Reena, Its particularly bad in the mornings, but then it sort of evens out. At the moment (9.03AM in Aus), I sound like a man and a cow because I'm trying to move it from my lungs so I can breath properly. I'm not allergic to anything, so I don't think allergy medicine would work. My heart's fine, I tend to get a heart murmur when I'm not well, but apart from that I'm fine.
Thank-you for the positive advice on my work, I have such high standards for myself, especially since I need to get 90.5 as an ATAR score to get into the University course I want to do.

@Celianne, I love drinking tea when I have a sore throat, it always makes me feel better. So guess what? I've been drinking plenty of tea, but no such help. I dislike chamomile tea and I detest honey with a passion. But I shall try mint tea.
At the moment I have 8 practice exams on my desk in my bedroom, all half completed but its very overwhelming. At the end of the year I will have 5 exams, 4 of which will be over the whole year's work I have completed. I'm glad Biology is only a semester's work.

@Angel, I'm not allergic to anything, and it seems to be only my lungs that are now affected. I had pneumonia last year, so hopefully I don't have it again. Bronchitis is no fun either. No fever, just phlegm on my lungs that I can't clear. Its very annoying.

It's possible that you have asthma. My son's first asthma attack was coughing only w/phlegm (no wheezing), or you could have a sinus infection with sinus drainage running down the back of your throat, and then coughing it up thinking it's from your lungs. However, this is neither here nor there, if you've been unwell for over a month you should go back to your doctor, and have him listen to your lungs and order a chest and sinus xray post haste. Good luck, and let us know how you're doing after your doctors appt!