*cough*

Who can relate to this experience:

You are just wrapping up nice bout of the flu or a bad cold or virus, and as a parting gift, it leaves you with a lingering cough. And I mean lingering. That buzzard might stick around for another month while you are otherwise in normal health.

And then who has attemped, through Shaolin monk-like subconscious-transcending efforts of mind control over body, to suppress their never-ending stream of cough for the benefit of their bed-partner, or someone else who's sleep might be affected by your all night Concert of Croup.

Have you done this?

I have. Last night. I was able to suppress about 2/3 of my coughs I'd say, which I was pretty impressed with! But then another solid 30% totally slipped by me without my ability to intercept them at all. And alas, neither me nor my bed-partner got any sleep basically all night. He, because of my 'coughing fits' of which he didn't even know how few he got compared to what might have been, and me, because of my coughing fits, plus my focussed attention the rest of the time on overpowering or at the very least muzzling said coughing fits.

If you are contemplating this plan of action, feeling heroic in your ability to take control of your body, my word of advice to you is this:

Just sleep on the couch.