I'm Back

Dear Readers:

I haven't been myself lately. Some virus-from-hell took up residence in my brain cells for the past two weeks, and I've finally kicked it out. It was either me or it -- one of us had to go. Man, that was some bugger. I got tired of being brain dead, headachy, irritable, foggy, and stuck in that zombie state. It didn't seem like I could enjoy anything -- I stopped running, food lost its taste, and my mind was mush. All I was good for was coughing and sneezing. Trouble was, I couldn't drum up any sympathy for my recent plight (except from other family members similarly accursed). People don't stop to register others afflicted with colds on the list of things to pray for.

When is someone going to find a cure for the common cold? Yes, I'd rather have a cold than some serious illness, but it's amazing how such a common malady can steal your vigor, initiative, and peace of mind. When I was an intern, my body seemed to have an uncanny ability to get sick on my vacations. I felt like getting back at the sick bug for ruining my time off, but how do you punch a virus in the nose? Needless to say, I'm on the mend now and feeling much better. As I told a colleague who asked how I was doing: "It feels good when you stop hitting yourself with a brick." Even though it's Monday, I can celebrate because that big bad virus is gone.

Until later.