Illness and Growing Up....

I haven't written this week because I have been under the weather.  But today I felt like writing a little.  

When I was a kid I was often sick with colds and bronchitis.  So much so, that it was like clockwork in November around my birthday for me to get sick and not enjoy part of that month of the year.  When I was in High School we had to take PE for two years as a prerequisite to graduation.   My freshmen year I believe I did all the requirements of the class, including getting on a bus in November and heading toward the YMCA and swimming for the class and then getting back on the bus and go back to normal routine of my other classes.   I got a nasty cold as always and my Mom wasn't pleased that I had to be in the cold and have wet hair and all that after swimming.   When I was in my Sophomore year and that time of year rolled around, my Mom told me that she didn't want me swimming at all.  I told Mrs. Hillemann who understood, and so while all the girls in my class left to swim I had to do other things to be active.  

Later that same year we were running a lot and I got a bad case of the shin splints, and had to quit running.  I was told that these are caused by running on hard ground or concrete.  Pretty painful, my shins would ache and hurt whether I was running or not.   Again because I couldn't do what the others were doing so this time I was told I had to read some books on sports medicine.  I decided to read up on shins splints and I had to write a book report, actually I might have had to type it up.  I got an excellent grade and became more knowledgeable of the problem I suffered because of that.   To this day I remember that the best thing to prevent shins splints is to walk or run on grass and wear really good running shoes with good cushioned insoles to take the impact when you shoe hits the ground.

When I was in kindergarten I got the Chicken Pox, and was driven home by the school nurse (who does that anymore?) to get away from the rest of the children.   My siblings and I all had them that year around Christmas.  Ever since then it seems like CP pops up all the time, with someone's kid or grandkid getting them.   My memory always was of what I missed that day....going to the Fire Dept. and getting on the big red truck.   In my head, that was the best thing a kid could do!   I missed it and brought it up over the years whenever the discussion was about CP.  I'm telling you now, no one cares about hearing your same sob story over and over.   I don't bring it up anymore....no we adults now talk about hoping not to get Shingles, something you can get later in life if you ever had CP.  

I think I will just get better from this nasty sinus infection and be glad I didn't get bronchitis again, and hope to be back to 100% and writing every day for you all to read and enjoy my journey in this thing we call life.