<p>You can also get single-use sterile saline for nasal irrigation. Much easier to travel with. I think the brand we use is NasaDrops and sometimes they are in with medicines for babies!</p>
<p>Our kids must have all read the same article on brain-eating amoeba!</p>
<p>monkey13, I would stay away from using Zicam. It potentially leads to a loss of smell. Here is the FDA link:</p>
<p>[FDA</a> Advises Consumers Not To Use Certain Zicam Cold Remedies](<a href=āhttp://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm167065.htm]FDAā>http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm167065.htm)</p>
<p>I know this sounds hokie, but I seriously believe it led to the loss of my sense of smell. Since everything else has been ruled out, I am convinced this is the culprit. If I had known before I personally would not have taken the risk, even though the stuff worked great ( I used the spray). There are other products out that work as well. </p>
<p>Also remember that most decongestants tend to cause dehydration. So be sure your āauditioneeā drinks plenty of fluids and/or sticks to a natural saline rinse.</p>
<p>My D mustāve read the same one as well. LOL. She loathes her neti pot and I think was trying to use it as an excuse NOT to use the neti. ALthough, she is fine with filtered water for her personal steamer. ARGH! I too want to put her in a bubble and MAKE her sleep.</p>
<p>My D and her bestie both woke up sick on the first morning of LA Unifieds last year. The girls had between 5 and 6 auditions scheduled each. We mothers were so upset with so many eggs in this basket. Hereās the important partā¦these adjudicators will know your child is sick. My D received 2/6 acceptances that weekend while sick. Her bestie also received 2/3 she was offered. These schools looked beyond the mucus and cracking voice : ) So donāt despair. I truly believe each student ends up where they are meant to for whatever reason. Happy auditions!</p>
<p>AdaQuince, the Zicam that was linked to loss of smell was the nasal swabs only (which I loved, b/c I canāt stand the taste of the sprays and chews). They took those off the market years ago. There is no link with the other forms of Zicam. </p>
<p>Prodesse, is ānasal irrigationā done without the neti pot? Iāll have to look into that. I think itās the volume of water that she uses that helpsā¦but I donāt know. Iām definitely going to check that out - thanks!</p>
<p>Glad my D isnāt the only one afraid of the brain eating amoeba! Too funny. </p>
<p>My D has NO voice at all right nowā¦absolutely none. She is feeling better (she has pneumonia), but she couldnāt croak out a note if you put a gun to her head. In fact, her coach told her not to even try. So if she were at an audition right now, they would definitely be able to tell she was sickā¦but there is no way they would be able to judge her singing. At all. Or her acting for that matter.</p>
<p>You can do it without the neti pot. I just use the little squeeze bottles since I donāt have to do it that often, but Iām not a performer.</p>
<p>Hope your daughter gets better soon. Donāt even let her whisper!</p>
<p>monkey13 and others,</p>
<p>In addition to vocal rest, you might want to consider oil of oregano. 3-4 drops under the tongue every 3 hours or so is recommended for severe laryngitis. I believe the thought is that it facilitates healing of all mucous membranes throughout the body. It was recommended years ago for our youngest during his spring musical and showed tremendous results in 24 hrs. It is quite a dose and unpleasant, but our household swears by it. You can usually find it in nutrition and health food stores. It also comes in a capsule which one son has used when he doesnāt have the oil, but I prefer the actual oil. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you prodesse and abparent! Ironically, I just ordered oil of oregano and it should be arriving later tonight or tomorrow! I will let you know what happens.</p>
<p>It isnāt a phobia about the Neti pot. I asked a PA, an ENT and an allergist and they all confirmed that it is true and easily avoidable using distilled water.</p>
<p>Wash all neti pots and nasal irrigation bottles and allow them to dry. Otherwise bacteria can, and will, grow inside them which could further aggravate your studentsā¦particularly Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and certain fungi.</p>
<p>Naegleria fowleri, the brain-eating amoeba, is very rare. Typically 0-8 cases per year.</p>
<p>Naegleria love warm temperatures and are able to survive in water as hot as 113 degrees Fahrenheit.</p>
<p>These amoebas can be found in warm places around the globe. They are found in:</p>
<p>Warm lakes, ponds, and rock pits
Mud puddles
Warm, slow-flowing rivers, especially those with low water levels
Untreated swimming pools and spas
Untreated well water or untreated municipal water
Hot springs and other geothermal water sources
Thermally polluted water, such as runoff from power plants
Aquariums
Soil, including indoor dust</p>
<p>**Naegleria canāt live in salt water and cannot survive in properly treated swimming pools or in treated municipal water.</p>
<p>If you were to drink a glass of water infested with naegleria, you would not get a brain infection. Infection occurs only after water (or perhaps dust) containing the amoeba gets into the nose.</p>
<p>This appears to happen most often when people are diving, water skiing, or performing water sports in which water is forced into the nose. However, infections have occurred in people who dunked their heads in hot springs or who used **untreated tap water to cleanse their nostrils.</p>
<p>The KEY HERE is UNTREATED tap water. Municipal potable driniking waters are chlorinated and chances of getting Naegleria from them is slim to none.</p>
<p>Had a great visit to a program with my D this past weekend. Very friendly students who answered a ton of questions and were very enthusiastic about their program. My D felt her audition went well, but is trying to maintain objectivity and not fall in love with any specific program until sheās done all her auditions and sees if/where she is accepted. And my D and I actually had a great time talking on the 3 hour car rides to and from the college. This audition stuff is all right!</p>
<p>^^^jeffandann, Iām super liking your post! Glad it was a positive experience.</p>
<p>jeffandann-my D is the same way about not wanting to fall in love with any one place until she finds out what options she may have. Glad to hear you and your D had a great time talking on your ride. This was our first audition and I did find my D was willing to talk about the day and was actually quite chatty. It will be interesting to see what Unifieds bring. Best of luck to your D.</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone over these next 2 weeks of insanity!!!
This I the craziest process imaginable.
Is any anyone else freaking out just a little?
Iām trying to stay calm but itās not easy. Lets all breathā¦</p>
<p>I think weāre ALL freaking out - either a little or a lot. My D has 5 auditions this weekend. Itās hard to believe Unifieds are just about here. Break a leg, everyone!</p>
<p>I think the hardest part right now is that a lot of my Dās non-performing friends already know where theyāre going for college, whereas mine wonāt know for a couple months if then. Plus it would seem that a lot of the places sheās auditioning are not going to send acceptances until all auditions are concluded. Which I think is the right policy, it just makes waiting that much more difficult. Truth be told sheās handling it better than her parents.</p>
<p>Any of us who have been through the process in the past few years can certainly relate to all you going through it now, and do wish you the best. It gets harder every year due to the rise in the numbers of kids applying. However, the good news is that more and more schools are opening MT programs. Even if they might not be well established, your student will be getting instruction in voice, acting, dance and a college education. AND, even the most established programs have their glitches and students who are not satisfied with them. There is NO perfect program! Treasure this time with your child, as it will be the last time you get to hear their talent every day! Accept their idiosyncrisies as they deal with the pressure, especially during Unifieds. Even though the crowds of kids attending are some of the most pleasant teens I have ever been stuck in elevators with, there were days I wanted to lock my daughter in the hotel room and head off to the nearest strong beverage! Know that it will all work out as it should, even though you have to wait forever and help your child endure rejections. Know that once May 1 hits, what you thought was the final outcome may not be. Once the domino process of acceptances and making it off of waitlists begins, it can get a little crazy. I know 2 students who were all settled into thinking they were going to attend one school and then in the start of June, were elated to find out they had made it into one on the top of their list! But, make sure you have a deposit down somewhere, and donāt count on that happening! Like the rest of us, you will look back on this time as one of the most rewarding in your time with your child! Best of luck to all!</p>
<p>Three auditions tomorrow in Chicago, and I amhe with our younger daughter. Torrow will drive me crazy.</p>
<p>My D did two scheduled and two walk ins and a dance audition tonight. She is having a great time. Got a callback for an acting program and is doing a third callback with them tomorrow. Iāve done a LOT of sitting but also a lot of running around taking care of food and supplies. I know kids come here and do it alone but having help has made my D more relaxed. We are enjoying our time together too except for her complaint about my snoring! I figured why I am snoring though. The filter in our room is filthy! Fine all day out of the room. Maintenance is coming to change it.</p>