how often do you get sick?
I wonder if you guys get sick more than, less than, or about the same as your coworkers?
I work in a kindergarten center. Read: 400 5-year olds. You name the disease and we've had it at my school. Chickenpox. several kinds of stomach flu, every cold you can imagine, strep throat, impetigo, influenza...the list goes on and on. On Friday there were 11 staff members out and I sent two of my kids home as the day progressed.
Now, I am a believer in and a practicer of handwashing, but not as control-freak with the hand sanitizer and clorox as some of my coworkers. This year I have been sneezed on, spit on, and puked on regularly. I have wiped more noses and rear ends than I care to count. Yet I never seem to get sick. I had strep throat once three years ago and that was the last time I can remember.
What is the deal? Do some people just have killer immune systems? Or is it because I'm vegan?
Not that I want to get sick or anything. Just wondering.
i get sick less than most people surrounding me.
last school year, though, i did get sick relatively frequently but i blame this on two things: too much booze and sharing a room with someone who was constantly getting sick.
Last time I was sick was about a year ago. And I am not the hand lotion type. I went vegan 8 months ago and really haven't had as much as a sniffle since then. So maybe diet has something to do with it.
The frequency of my getting sick is practically negligible. I cannot remember the last time I was actually sick. It must have been junior year of high school or earlier. I am a college senior now. The most sick I have gotten since then might be a sniffle or a sore throat that lasted a day.
I don't know why this is. I am pretty good about avoiding germs, but not obsessively so. I think sleep has a lot to do with it. Sometimes I think it's because I was a sickly child, so I built up immunities early on. Who knows. I have been vegetarian for practically my entire life and vegan for seven months, if that has anything to do with it.
agreed about the whole diet thing. i only remember being sick once in the past three years, and it was pretty minor sick--like under the weather a day.
oh yeah, i haven't been 'really' sick in.... a long time.
when i do get sick (like i said, though, doesn't happen much.. but like last year.. whatever..) it is generally pretty minor. for instance, i will be sniffly but not feel like i have no energy, etc.
I rarely get sick. I taught primary school and I can relate to all the diseases that go through a school. It's been years since I had a real cold or the flu. I have had what I would consider the sniffles which lasts a day or two but nothing that compared with what some of my co-workers would drag their half-dead bodies into work with. What I seem to have picked up every couple of years is stomach flu (and I do wash my hands) that lasts about 2 days, start to finish. The last time I had that was 2 years ago when I was scheduled to be emcee at my nieces wedding. I made it to the wedding, sitting at the back of the church very close to the exit nearest the washrooms. I could have had a bucket attached to both ends. Immediately after the ceremony I went home, got in bed fully clothed, including shoes and slept through the entire reception. But since I retired and don't have as much exposure to the public I've been very well.
Since going vegan I have been sick once with a cold and that was over this weekend! When I was a smoking omni I would get a cold and have it for weeks--now--2 days! Gotta love the improved imune system!
even though i come in contact with every student at least once a week, i still haven't really gotten sick, i get the sniffles sometimes, but i think its because i've never dusted my house and our school has all kind of shit in it (asbestos and whatnot) gross.
i use my lack of sickness as leverage to take days off around holidays. woot.
I noticed that I have gotten a lot less sick in the past year when I became a vegan. Meanwhile, I've seen my friends and coworkers drop like flies because of colds and flus.
I used to get sick a lot, too, before when I consumed dairy and egg products. I don't know if there's a vegan connection or not, but iif so, that's one more reason to eat cruelty-free.
I've never really gotten sick. I've had big illness, like pnemonia and the stomach flu, but I didn't get colds when I was an omni and I still don't. I think that may be because when I don't feel well and want to sleep I don't push myself and sleep as much as I want to, so maybe I'm not the best example.
Most of my trouble turned out to be thyroid and perimenopause related. The last time I had a real cold was just before I began the return to vegetaria. I do wash my hands a lot but hand sanitizer destroys my skin so I just use soap. And carry a clean hankie to wipe my hands in public bathrooms if there's no air dryer (there's often one hanging there but it usually doesn't work).
Now most of my discomfort is caused by pollen. I should think if we eat all these veggies we'd become more plant-friendly...but I guess not... ^-^
Unfortunately I am highly susceptible to just about every cootie that comes along, but it is because I take an immune system inhibitor for my arthritis. Sadly, a good diet and immaculate hygiene don't seem to help compensate for the reduced ability of my immune system to fight off disease.
:(
The last time I was really sick was back in January. I thought it was a combination of "mountain cedar" pollen and moving into the new building with new carpet and freshly painted walls. That may have triggered the excessive snot but I got an sinus infection. Before I turned veg*n (95% vegan) I was always getting sick and puking (usually after eating out.) Since there's no veggie food except for the Burger King veggie burger that I can/will eat here, we don't eat out much. Mostly when we eat out it's when we're shopping in San Antonio and there are veggie-friendly restaurants.
I have been sick for a week every single month for the last five, that I have been counting. But its mainly related to the nosedive that my immune system takes during menstruation. But other than those times, nothing.
lately I noticed I've gotten sick more often than I used to. I was really sick about a month ago & then before that back I was sick around labor day. I thought back on those times & realized that it was when I was really pushing myself exersise-wise & have since decided try to rest more. We shall see how that works.
I have never been sick enough to call in to work since 1988. Other than the minor cold type stuff, I have been very lucky! (Knocking on wood!)
I've never really gotten sick. I've had big illness, like pnemonia and the stomach flu, but I didn't get colds when I was an omni and I still don't. I think that may be because when I don't feel well and want to sleep I don't push myself and sleep as much as I want to, so maybe I'm not the best example.
I also just let myself get rest if I'm feeling run down. I figure a few more hours of sleep is better than getting sick and being out of commission for days.
Diet definitely plays a role, but I think also a LACK of obsessive cleanliness also helps. All of that anti-bacterial crap can't be good and then your immune system is naive because it's never exposed to any bacteria, so when it encounters something bad that your Purell hasn't killed, illness is inevitable. It's like how nurses' children usually are rarely sick because their parent brings home small amounts of lots of types of germs so their immune systems build themselves up. Germs do not automatically equal bad...
Diet definitely plays a role, but I think also a LACK of obsessive cleanliness also helps. All of that anti-bacterial crap can't be good and then your immune system is naive because it's never exposed to any bacteria, so when it encounters something bad that your Purell hasn't killed, illness is inevitable. It's like how nurses' children usually are rarely sick because their parent brings home small amounts of lots of types of germs so their immune systems build themselves up. Germs do not automatically equal bad...
bacteria builds up a resistance, so if you overdo those antibacterial hand sanitizers, you're just putting yourself in harm's way.
I got hit hard once this year, and I don't know how to explain it because my immune system has been pretty strong almost all my life. it was weird - maybe the living situation, or maybe I was pushing myself too hard. but like most of you, I don't really get sick.
I don't get sick very often (knock wood) and I only have one coworker to compare to. He however is always sick (he's also a heavy smoker which I know contributes to his congestion). The times I do get sick it's usually bad. Like it takes a super virus to knock me out. When I am sick it's something like the flu or a sinus infection.
Diet definitely plays a role, but I think also a LACK of obsessive cleanliness also helps. All of that anti-bacterial crap can't be good and then your immune system is naive because it's never exposed to any bacteria, so when it encounters something bad that your Purell hasn't killed, illness is inevitable. It's like how nurses' children usually are rarely sick because their parent brings home small amounts of lots of types of germs so their immune systems build themselves up. Germs do not automatically equal bad...
Hah! by that logic, I should be immune to everyithing but the bubonic plague by now, what with my 300 daily mini-immunizations. Cool.
Diet definitely plays a role, but I think also a LACK of obsessive cleanliness also helps. All of that anti-bacterial crap can't be good and then your immune system is naive because it's never exposed to any bacteria, so when it encounters something bad that your Purell hasn't killed, illness is inevitable. It's like how nurses' children usually are rarely sick because their parent brings home small amounts of lots of types of germs so their immune systems build themselves up. Germs do not automatically equal bad...
Hah! by that logic, I should be immune to everyithing but the bubonic plague by now, what with my 300 daily mini-immunizations. Cool.
That's a good point too, PP. I am always frustrated by those 20/20 exposés and the like which look at the amounts of germs on everyday items like bags and purses and kitchen. Well, yeah, microbes are on everything! Not to mention the antibiotic resistances that develop because of antibacterial products.
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