Day 130: I'm sick!

I never get sick. Really, it is very rare for me to ever come down with something. Even though I spend most of my time at work surrounded by sick people...I never seem to catch anything. You would think that as a doctor I would always be receiving “presents” that my patients bring in to me. Maybe it is good hand washing, maybe I have good genes, or maybe I've just been blessed with good health. Even when we have sickness at home, the kids rarely pass it on to me. Sue sometimes gets hit, but I usually avoid it.

So can someone explain to me how I’ve been sick not just once but TWICE in the five weeks that I have been out of the US? I don’t have any snot-nose kids coming into my office sneezing, coughing, or hacking on me. In fact, the funny thing is that for the first time in eight years, I am not really even taking care of patients. As I’ve been coughing up a lung the last few days, I’ve tried to figure it out. Here are a few possible explanations:

1) A secret Taliban spy has been lacing my food with potent “Afghan germs” in an attempt to keep me from helping build up the Afghan medical system.
2) My body cannot handle the climate changes associated with getting up in the middle of the night and walking outside my barracks to find a bathroom. I hope you all appreciate your indoor bathrooms (and your normal sized bladders)!
3) I have been working out too much and not eating enough dessert. Okay, you probably know this isn’t true if you have noticed my “No Treat Tracker” lately.
4) Just bad luck!

Oh well, the good news is I’m turning the corner and starting to feel better. That means I should have another 3 weeks of being healthy before the next cold hits!

Here is my sick bed--books and a roll of toilet paper. All I need now is a cup of chicken noodle soup. Sue can you help me with that one?