So for the past few weeks, I knew I was making myself vulnerable to getting sick. I’ve been working long hours, too many days in a row, my kid is back in school bringing home every disease known to man.

So I fought like hell. I got plenty of sleep, I ate good healthy food, I installed a vitamin C IV drip. I fought like hell.

Then Grandpa got sick. No biggie, he is a recluse. This doesn’t mean I’ll get it.

Then one by one the kids were picked off.

Main symptom, snotty nose. That’s pretty much it. It’s a weak cold.

But my immune system is currently strong. I’m doing everything right. I can do it. I can get through this. Dear god let me last long enough to get my flu shot on the 1st of October. It’s free thanks to my insurance.

I can’t afford to get sick. I can’t miss work. Working sick just wears me down and I stay sick longer.

But I can do this. A strong immune system can overcome a weak cold.

Extra vitamin C, extra sleep. Lots of fruit and vegetables. I.WILL.BEAT.THIS.

Then yesterday happened. And I’m still not going to talk about it, but I became even more stressed than I usually am. Stress makes you weaker. It does things to you. I beats you down. And if you are beaten down AND exposed to a disease, you don’t stand a chance in hell.

Sure enough, at 7 am when I woke to go to the bathroom, my throat was on fire.

But wait, the kids and Grandpa’s cold have nothing to do with their throats. They aren’t even coughing.

So if I didn’t catch their cold, what did I get?

I’m also snotty, sneezy and my ears make a weird popping noise when I swallow.

I so could have beaten this.