Two weeks ago, we had a one-week reservation in Slanic Moldova. We were there last year as well and had a wonderful, adventure-filled vacation. This year, we decided to go back, but to relax more and enjoy the mountains and the peace and quiet.
That’s exactly what we did, but a few days after we arrived, meteorologists announced heavy rains in the Moldova region—a cyclone named Boris (a name that strikes me as embarrassingly and ironically Russian, but whatever). It rained very little in Slanic, a bit more back home in Iași, but it was a gentle, soothing rain. However, the next day, when we turned on the TV to watch the news, we were horrified. As an aside, we don’t have a TV at home and rarely watch the news. Here, however, we had nothing better to do; the apartment had two TVs, and we fully experienced the “benefits” of the panic induced by the reporters. In some areas of Galați and Vaslui, it rained a lot—strangely heavy—with water reaching up to 2 meters in some places. It was a disaster: people swept away by the floodwaters in the middle of the night, animals killed, houses filled with mud. All this against the backdrop of floods similar to those that occurred 10 years ago in the same area—floods after which people didn’t mobilize to do anything, and the authorities just rode around in boats and pretended to care.
The panic stirred up on TV really got to us. It certainly got to me, and in a big way. We watched it nonstop for a couple of days, and I was already imagining all sorts of scenarios for our trip back home. More heavy rains were forecast, and I could already picture the bus stuck in the mud somewhere.
Meanwhile, back home, one of our dogs had an accident that left him seriously injured, and he died before we got there.
The result: steady, gentle rain at home; in Slanic, it barely drizzled; and the next day on TV, interest in the people in the affected areas faded as an uninteresting political campaign took over. We made it home safely, without any problems. All is well.
A few days later, after I’d settled back in at home and all the conflicts had been resolved, here’s the result:
- a runny nose, especially at night. This stems from the intense conflict I experienced while staring at the TV. If I hadn’t been watching TV, I wouldn’t even have known there was a problem. It rained heavily but quietly at home, and very little in Slanic. The whole scenario was all in my head. How does this conflict manifest? During a period of stress, the nasal mucosa swells so that those extra cells can help with more efficient breathing. When the conflict ends, they’re eliminated, resulting in a runny nose. Simple. If the mucus clogs the nose and prevents breathing, a suffocation conflict and a productive cough arise. So, by keeping the nose clear, we prevent the cough.
- Dry cough, also at night. Healing took place at night, which is why I cough at night. Note: a dry cough, not a productive one. In my case, based on how it feels, it’s in both the throat (larynx) and the bronchi (lungs). So, two conflicts simultaneously. In the larynx, from the fright I got watching TV. I panicked when I saw the images of the floods. And the second conflict—the loss of territory (the dog that died before we got home)—triggered the cough in the bronchi.
- getting rid of excess water. The refugee crisis has been resolved. While I was on vacation, after seeing the images on TV, I was stressed because I wasn’t at home, I wasn’t near the basement full of supplies—I was in a hotel room with food for only two days. I didn’t know how it would all end, or how we’d get home. Yes, it was all in my head, amplified by those sensationalist TV stations, but the conflict was there—they managed to trigger it in me. Once I calmed down at home, everything settled; I convinced myself that I had food and everything I needed, and I started drawing from the supplies I’d stockpiled. Specifically—I go to the bathroom about five times a night.
Conclusion: everything is fine when you know what’s going on with you. My mistake: I let myself get swept up in the chaos created by the news programs, and for two days I didn’t enjoy my vacation. How long does it take to recover? About two days. I still have a runny nose and a very occasional cough.
Wishing everyone good health,
Geo
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