I don't remember his name but I remember where I knew him from - Bethany Hills.  This church camp in Tennessee I attended as a teenager was the setting for my first lesson in fighting a cold.

He-whose-name-I cannot-remember got sick while at the weekend camp, and instead of going to get medical help or drugs, he instead lugged around a gallon jug of water.  My having been used to the idea that once you're sick you pop a pill, I was fascinated by what I considered his naive approach to illness.

However, after drinking massive amounts of water he was well by the end of the weekend.  Amazed that all he used was water, I never forgot that experience.

That is why this past weekend, while sick on th couch with a cold, I sent Katie Jo to the store to get a gallon jug of water, along with orange juice and Gatorade, all of which I nursed while watching the NCAA tournament.  I finished the gallon jug on Saturday, refilled it and finished it off again on Sunday, and felt well enough to come to work today.

Being a kidney transplant recipient, I can't take cold medicine - so this "flush" helped keep severe symptoms at bay.

But here is one more tip to help prevent so many of these colds from even taking place:  Keep your hands from your face.

That was the most-emphasized instruction to me by the Piedmont Hospital staff, since my immune system is now compromised due to anti-rejection medicines.  Why the emphasis on my face? The most common way you catch the funk is by touching your mouth, nose, or eyes with your dirty hands.

Not touching my face was the hardest habit to get out of, but it has made a huge difference in my health.

Try it.  (It's really hard.)  And if you do slip and end up getting sick again - grab a jug and drink away! But make sure you are near a bathroom.....