Stage 1
A tickle in the throat. "Is this a cold coming on?"
Stage 2
A cough, nothing else, that gets progressively worse.
Stage 3
A severe cough with nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezes. A box of tissues needs to be on hand at all times.
Stage 4
Coughing has eased up, but nasal congestion still present plus a pounding headache.
This is the stage I'm in now. It started on Monday let's hope it soon disappears.
On the bright side, lots of different daffodils are blooming in my yard. I had to pick some to enjoy them close up.