Netpackrat wrote:Not to compare myself with Chris' problems, but I finally realized just this year how I am probably going to die. Seems like I get nailed by every little cold bug that comes along, and things that most people are over in a couple of days, drag on for a week, etc. When my boss questioned why I was even coming to work when I was sick, I told him if I stayed home every time I was legitimately sick, he would end up firing me for missing too much work, so as a result I almost never call in sick. He hasn't given me any crap since then.
So yeah, assuming that I don't wind up riding some vehicle into a smoking hole, I will probably just reach an age where my body isn't able to fight off some stupid minor bug, and that will be it.
That's because you don't get enough exposure to a variety of people to help keep your immune system up-to-date. So, when you DO come into contact with someone with an illness which you don't have a defense for, the little bio-bugs simply rip you a new one until your defenses catch up. In some respects, it's good you don't have a lot of contact with a LOT of others, but in another sense, your system doesn't get the opportunity to build its immune system to the degree necessary to EFFECTIVELY fight (ASAP) any bug you may have come into contact with, without taking you down for a day or two while building its defenses.
It's a NASTY double-edged sword!! Your body can't build the immunities it needs to stay current if you don't come into contact with LOTS of people from the general population. OTOH, NOT being in contact with the general public might save you from any PANDEMIC being spread by travelers.
Since my wife & I have been out of GENERAL circulation after she became ill and I got laid off, neither one of us have been a frequent visitor to the MASS HORDES of the local population. Although this has GREATLY improved our health by not getting sick/ill in the last several years, I'm afraid I might bring something home to my wife (who has a compromised immune system) - I'm terrified I'll do just that simply by heading out to Home Depot where lots of people might be sniffing and sneezing/coughing and clearing their throats, wiping their noses, and touching everything in sight. And I might bring that home to my wife.
I suspect you might be going through the same thing with your lack of REGULAR (and usually MINOR), public contact (especially if they appear to be healthy - but you never know what they might have a resistance to which you and your's DO NOT) - and THAT is how you might get something your body will have a difficult time fighting.
Lack of exposure is both a blessing and a curse in their own rights!! You don't get sick often due to LACK of exposure (GOOD THING), however, the lack of public contact also means your immune system can't keep up on the latest *bugs* going around and learning how to fight them.
I get it.
Classic Catch-22.
I wish there was some other way to keep your/OUR immune system(s) up-to-date.
