Breathe Through Your Mouth Stupid

As I mentioned in my previous post, I developed a sinus cold/infection after my last dose of chemo.

My sinuses and nose were so plugged. I was laying awake around midnight, trying to sleep.

Growing up, I always shared a bedroom with my younger brother. I remember a time or two when he was sick and his nose was plugged up. He would be crying in bed and my Mom would come in to comfort him. I would lay there trying to sleep, drowning out the noise as best as I could.

He was crying and crying and he blurted out, “I can’t breathe!” At this point I had enough and yelled out, “breathe through your mouth stupid!” As you can tell, I wasn’t a very sympathetic brother. Of course he could breathe, he had no trouble crying his head off at my Mom, I thought.

I used to be a back or stomach sleeper. When I had a tumor on my sacrum, I begrudgingly switched to a side sleeper.

Fast forward in time to last week. Laying there awake, I thought to myself, “I can’t breathe!” My nose is so plugged. Another voice in my head said “breathe through your mouth stupid!” and this old memory came flooding back. At this point, I burst out laughing. The irony of it. Of course, I knew I could breathe through my mouth, I would just start drooling on my pillow (which sucks too), now being a side only sleeper.

I very much earned this lack of breathing experience. Life has a funny way of making circles out of things and teaching you some wisdom where it can. Be nicer to your brother!