The Sick Cycle

I think I've mentioned I've been sick on every single rotation this year. Twice on Medicine... Three times if you count food poisoning. It's not fun, and frankly I'm tired of it.

Part of it I can't control. I'm in the freaking hospital, surrounded by sick people. I am bound to catch something.

The other part I can. I could stop biting my nails (which I'm sure is the true reason). I could eat better.

My father is convinced it's because I don't cover my neck. Since I was a child, he stressed the importance of covering one's neck. No matter how or when I got sick, the next day HE would be wearing a scarf around his neck 24/7 and boast "see... I'm not sick because I'm wearing a scarf."

This made no sense to me, and we have fought over it several times. And every time it ends up being the same argument that somehow ends in a touche when one of us has knicked the other in the shoulder.

Let's take the most recent fencing session at Easter dinner, where I'm having coughing fits left and right.

"Roxy, you know you wouldn't keep getting sick if you just covered your neck"

"Dad, you know I wouldn't keep getting sick if I wasn't in medical school."

"How would being in medical school give you food poisoning? HA"

"How would wearing a scarf have prevented food poisoning? HA! HA!"

Silence.

Then we just turned our attention back to the television.

Until next time....