Well, world. I come to you without a voice.

But, no, literally, I've lost my voice. Which has never happened to me before.

Since New Years day, I've been chronically sick and I'm not sure why. Various ear, nose and throat problems. From sneezes to stuffy noses to sore throats to coughs (which, ahem, may or may not have something to do with all of those cigarettes) to foggy heads to clogged sinuses to frequent fevers, you name a symptom, I've had it. My favorite over-the-counter meds have been Dayquil and Nyquil gel caps. That stuff is god.

And over the weekend, my voice died. I sound like I'm whispering and it hurts to murmur more than a few words at a time. I've been sipping teas and veggie broths all weekend, avoiding dairy products (which cause gross phlegm and make me cough a lot more) and it sucks. I'd really like some solid food, if only I felt hungry.

Which causes me to have no participation in a lot of things lately. Things I should've partaken in. Like when ex-associate editor Ashley Plummer modeled at a First Friday. Or when my boss' Tony Clifton act performed at Radio Radio. Alas.

So I figure that perhaps my immune system is just on the fritz. That tea that I've been sipping is the organic Echinacea stuff that supposedly boosts immunity and I've been taking vitamin C like crazy. Oi.

And you say, "Why, Lisa - how 'bout you go see a doctor there, buddy?" Because, frankly, the health insurance I buy for myself is strictly for live-or-die circumstances. It's like the Safe Auto of health insurance - "bare minimum coverage!" I, like many of my 20-something peers who are not taken care of by Mommy and Daddy, simply cannot afford to see a doctor. I went to a clinic the weekend of New Years and got some free generic antibiotics, but that kind of bit into the annual medication budget. I feel like my car's probably covered by insurance better than I am, which is sad - and a topic for a different column.

So, I resort to the teas and the vitamins. Readers, I'm asking for your favorite cure-all herbal remedies. If it's legal and inexpensive-ish, I'll try it. I'm just really tired of feeling sick all the time. I've missed more work than I should be allowed to and I constantly feel craptastic. So, please please please help me to feel better.