The Battle of the Body Wars Begins - Flu and Cold Season approaches

I wore a jacket this morning for the first time this season because it was chilly which got me thinking about fall. (side note: I have grown completely in love with the fall, the sounds the smells, and I can't wait to go outside with my new camera and take pictures of the trees)  As the weather cools down, I'm sure I will be hearing my grandmas and my titas claim "its cold, put a hat on or you'll get sick".  I wonder how much actual truth there is to that.  It seems relatively impossible to get sick just because it's cold out.  We learn that bacteria thrives in warm, damp environments, growing and spreading everywhere they come in contact so in the cold, it wouldn't survive.  But the cold and flu are not bacteria, and they seem to attack us the most during the fall and winter.  Everything moves slower when its cold...down to the molecular level, and yeah the nerd in me is even thinking about the germs floating around in the air.

This isn't the first time I've thought about this, and my theory is that when you're cold, your body is working harder to keep your body temperature normal than to fight off the little buggies.  So either there is some truth to my theory or I'm just making up words to justify and reason out why people would say being cold makes you sick.  It still doesn't explain summer colds though.

School has started, and although I don't have little harbingers of illnesses of my own, I'm surrounded by people that do.  Kids are everywhere.  It's unavoidable, and I'm finding myself already starting the battle now that my husband is home sick.  As a minor hypochondriac, every sneeze, every cough, every twinge in my sinuses is being scrutinized and analyzed.  Is it allergies or an oncoming viral outbreak?

When school starts, there is a sudden influx of advertisements for the flu shot.  About this time last year one of my bosses contracted the dreaded swine flu and was out for 2 weeks.  We had disinfecting wipes randomly placed around the office to prevent the infected from spreading the germs to everyone else.  We just talked about how it's time to get the flu shot again.  I haven't gotten a flu shot in at least the last 5 years.  Now is when I debate again for weeks on whether or not I'm going to go to the local drugstore and get poked with this seasons virus.  

POW!

I don't have the strongest immune system, as I get sick at least 3-4 times a year, so it is a common thing for me to have colds.  But, I have noticed since I've been out of school, it's been less often.  Something about the congregating of mass quantities of persons and communal equipment allowing germs to fester having the potential to create an epidemic.  But even if you're not in school, the germs still manage to find their way to you.  And consequently, to me. 


So begins the battle, and my seasonal ritual of tissues, tea, vitamins, disinfectant, and hand sanitizer.  Bring it on...