Just now recuperating =
from a serious case of 'flu (influenza). I missed three days of wor=
k last week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) and I can't ever =
remember doing that before! I know the source was a virus, not a bacter=
ia, because I never did have a fever. But I had the worst sore throat I=
can ever recall and serious bouts of coughing, runny nose, etc.
Along with the various joys of working at a college, one of the risks =
is one is always exposed to multitudes of young, healthy college-aged st=
udents. Mostly in their early 20's, they feel young and invulnerabl=
e. That, plus lots of work due and social concerns keeps them going all=
hours of the day and night. The result — widespread sickness.
This follows a quite predictable pattern. Each semester, when the stu=
dent body returns to campus, they come from many locations. Each indivi=
dual brings along his or her own mix of germs and, voil=C3=A0, we all tr=
ade with each other. Add to that a population with a beaten-down immune=
system … too little sleep, not enough proper nutrition, and every sin=
gle semester a campus wide epidemic of colds, running noses, and cases o=
f influenza appears. It happens somewhere around one- to one-and-one-ha=
lf month into the term. The spring semester is worse because the cold w=
eather of winter adds to the burden our bodies must endure.

The=
problem is, the students' young bodies, with more resilient constit=
utions, can absorb this much more easily than old codgers such as myself=
can handle. Fortunately, I can offset age a little bit with wisdom: sl=
eep, other rest, good nutrition to be added to slowing down and extra pr=
ecautions at the first sign of onset symptoms.

Typically I catc=
h one or two colds each year, mostly in the winter. Usually a little ex=
tra sleep, some additional Vitamin C (to alleviate symptoms) and symptom=
-specific over the counter medications pump me up and get me through it.=
Until this time. This is the first time I've had a sickness cause=
me to miss a class day in the fourteen years with the present universit=
y. Ah, well, at least I'm mostly over it. Plan to return to work t=
omorrow; I only have to watch out and not overdo the first few days so a=
s to not suffer a relapse.

Perhaps it's time to seek a warm=
er climate on a long term basis. At least that will take the winter wea=
ther part out of the above-mentioned equation.