Are you one of those people who gets sick all the time? Or one of the lucky ones who never gets sick? Has the pattern changed? What do you think factors in: stress, smoking, flu shots, taking your vitamins?

I used to get strep throat every single year, and I had a cold or the flu more or less continuously from November until March. Occasionally I'd get something more interesting like pneumonia or bronchitis or scarlet fever or mono.

Now I've traded all that in for sinus infections that stick with me all year round, but not many colds and fairly mild bouts of the flu. I'm not sure which is worse.

How about you?

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2000

Answers

I have a pretty good immune system, although it's been doing a very obnnoxious thing lately: it reminds me that I'm getting older. I'm not exactly old at 29, but 10 years ago regular sleep deprivation did not force me to succumb to random colds and ear infections the way that it does now. They aren't debilitating, just irksome. After a solid 8 or 9 hour slumber they're gone.

One good change, however, has been the gradual demise of most of my allergies. As a child, I was always stuffed up, always snoring, mouth agape as a means of obtaining at least some oxygen. Nights were the worst; I snored like an old Ford Model T. With time, most of my allergies have become less severe, with the exception of an allergy to cats. Perhaps it's not an entirely real allergy, though, because I could never love another cat as much as Whiskers, my 20 pound Maine Coon tom that bloodied the nose of a German Shepherd and ran off an 80 pound Keeshound named Paco. (Poor Paco broke his leash, the day after the new neighbors moved in, chasing Whiskers. He was very sorry minutes later to find the same cat wrapped around his throat.)

Moving to Seattle from Memphis prompted a major adjustment of my immune system. With all of Tennessee's humidity (100% humidity year- round), and no hard freezes, there was no escaping the constant growth of some microsopic antigen. Seattle is less humid, but it doesn't freeze up either. The local ecosystem has a completely different set of plant microbes that set my nose running and my chest heaving for the better part of six weeks. Thankfully, however, I'm breathing freely again through my nose.

And that means that both my girlfriend and I can sleep much more soundly at night.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2000

I'm one of the lucky ones who never get sick. I'm a carrier, though, and Barb (who could be a hundred feet away from a hospital and catch something) will catch it from me. I've got a killer immune system, but I'm a carrier, like Typhoid Mary.

Al of NOVA NOTES.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2000

I have been blessed with a great immune system. I usually get one head cold per year, but have not had one yet this year. I am surrounded by sick people at work all winter long, yet I don't get what they have..flu, colds, etc. I used to get sick more often when I was in my twenties so I'm trying to think what I do differently and actually, I do most everything differently. Now, I eat more fruits and veggies (goal is 8 per day)...I concentrate on the dark leafy ones and the dark red and orange ones.....I take vitamins....I get a flu shot. I started this for my husband's protection, and, although he is no longer with me, am keeping it up since it's free. I'm careful about what I touch.....doorknobs in public restrooms....I use the paper towel or my coat to open them! I wash my hands often, but don't think I need that anti-bacterial soap. I try to maintain a positive, happy outlook and have the capacity to enjoy the little things in life when the big things have gone all wrong...I'm not a worrier and I try very hard to laugh at myself and see the humor in things. I think laughing is important. I walk and weight lift for exercise although I'm not always consistent with my regimen. I should do better with it than I do. Lest I sound like I'm Miss Perfect, I am 40 pounds overweight and need to shed them before I come down with Type II diabetes like all my siblings have. And I try to get enough sleep to keep my immune system intact and so that I don't unravel emotionally which I tend to do if exhausted.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2000

I used to get sick once a month throughout the winter when I lived in Indiana. At least two or three of those times I'd come down with a flu so nasty that I'd be bed-ridden for a week. I just assumed that was the way I was, and, sucky as it was, I'd have to learn to live with it.

Out here in California, I've noticed that I get sick fewer times with each winter I spend out here. This winter I have yet to get the nasty flu that's been going around (knock on wood)...at least, until this weekend. This weekend, I went to visit a sick friend (sore throat, nasty cough, stuffed-up nose) and BOOM! the next day (which would be yesterday) I slowly feel my throat get sore and I start coughing more as the day wore on. No, I usually don't try to tempt fate by visiting friends when they're sick, but this was a guy with whom I had a Saturday afternoon date, so I not only wanted to see him anyway, but sorta felt like I should swing by and express my sympathy...

(grumble, mumble, when will I learn that men are not worth your health? mutter, grumble.)

I take a lot more vitamins out here than I ever did in Indiana - I'm sure that helps. I've avoided the office plague by sucking down echinachea and washing my hands a lot and wiping down all the "public surfaces" (phones, keyboards, countertops and kitchen appliances) with lysol sprayed on a paper towel. The biggest trick I've learned to fight off an impending cold or flu is to sleep ridiculously long hours. Sleep does wonders to heal the body; I noticed this first when I had a cut on my finger that wouldn't heal for a week - a very busy week where I didn't get over 6 hours of sleep a night. That weekend I went to bed early one night and slept a good 13 hours - and my cut was almost healed the next day! I guess the body can get a lot done when we're not concious and trying to get in its way... it's also a great excuse to sleep lots and lots when

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2000

I'm usually pretty healthy, but have been fighting the same stupid virus for more than a month now.

Like Beth, being sick has also helped me lose a few pounds--I took off all the weight I gained over the holidays and then some without even trying.

But of course, I'd rather be healthy and not able to fit into any of my clothes...

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2000

I've very lucky to have a strong immune system. I've taken standard multi-vitamins for years and do not smoke, but I eat all the wrong foods and need to lose at least 25 pounds.

I usually get one cold per year, but never miss a day of work due to sickness.

I have suffered from BHP induced insomnia for the last 15 years, so I miss maybe one day a year of work due to being too tired to come in.

I've never broken a bone or had a serious medical problem, but I'm almost 48. I am afraid that I won't stay this lucky much longer.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2000

Dyslexia strikes again: I don't suffer from "brake horsepower" (BHP). My new Ford Explorer Sport has 210 BPH, which is plenty enough to avoid BHP induced insomnia.

Rather I have what is called "benign prostatic hypertrophy" (BPH). In practice it means I can't sleep more than 2 or 3 hours without having to get up and go to the bathroom. Now you know more than you wanted to know.

Thanks to Dennis G. for pointing this out.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2000

I used to have a cast iron immune system, until my thyroid went on the fritz.

Ever since then, I've had trouble shaking off the flu in particular.

I usually have one bout of the flu in the winter and one in the summer and that's it. But I _hate_ those bouts of the flu, because they can last anywhere from a week to ten days and put me out for the count.

Used to be that they were just 24 hour bugs that I could kick off and be fine, within 72 hours.

It's enough to make me start taking echinacea supplements. Bah.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2000

From childhood to just a few years ago (I'm 29, I had the WORST immune system of anyone I knew. I made a few changes all around the same time, so its hard to say which ones did it, or if it was a combination. I started taking vitamins daily, cut out the dairy products (soy milk and cheese are really great substitutes, ya just gotta give yourself an adjustment period), ate less meat, and started drinking green tea daily. My allergies are way more manageable, and I get sick so much less.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2000

Well, my immune system was strong (and stupid) enough to give me diabetes by killing off a virus that couldn't hurt me, and, along with it, my ability to produce insulin. To make up for that tactically questionable choice, it seems to be keeping me pretty darn healthy; then again, maybe all the healthy diet and exercise I've been getting since becoming a diabetic has something to do with that, too...

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2000

I used to be very sickly and have colds and sinus infections all winter each year. And I was horribly allergic to cats and dust.

I've had allergy shots and now that's a lot better. And my immune system is way better. My private theory is that it's because I take a lot of vitamin C (8000 mg a day). When I feel like I'm getting a cold I take zinc losenges and echinacia, and most of the time it goes away.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2000