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"In Sickness and In Health"

April 26, 2007

My many books--this is why I don't have time to be sick!

My philosophy on life includes a notion of balance: You can’t fully appreciate joy without knowing some degree of sadness, comfort without some pain, good health without periodic sickness. I think it’s a good philosophy, but even this rational outlook brings no consolation when I’m sick.

And I am sick. Not seriously, not deathly ill, but my immune system is under sufficient attack to make me feel miserable for a couple days. This entire weekend, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and watch movies, but, with two weeks left in the semester, that idea is laughable. Just last week I read more than 700 pages, wrote two papers, and took a quiz. This week is looking pretty much the same. So I spent my weekend reading about war criminals while my nose dripped and sinus pressure made my skull feel too small for my brain. I think I deserve a medal.

What does it say about our society when sick people are expected to keep plugging along instead of resting and regaining their health? Surely this only prolongs illness? It seems to me that we would have a much healthier population if people were encouraged to work fewer hours and take more vacations. But then maybe I’m just feeling rebellious. It’s been a long semester.

This is the fourth time I’ve been sick this year—more than the entirety of high school. Three colds and a stomach flu . . . every time something goes around I seem to catch it. And I thought I had a strong immune system! I suppose there are facets of college life that make students more vulnerable to illness: perpetual sleep deprivation, moderate to high stress, the... uniqueness of college diet, close living quarters. It’s a breeding ground for germs!

What can college students do to guard against recurring illness? I recommend taking vitamins, eating a reasonably healthy diet, and trying not to pull too many all-nighters. There are some things you just can’t avoid, like the fact that dorm life is conducive to the spread of germs. And really, though I complain, it hasn’t been that bad. I’ve usually gotten over the worst of my colds in three or four days, imbibing copious amounts of orange juice and getting lots of reading out of the way. At least being sick is good for something.

And, like I said at the beginning, I think being sick is good for something. It’s probably one of the few things that makes us finally slow down and take it easy for a few days. What’s more—this may sound weird, but it’s true—I cherish the vivacity I feel after recovering from being sick.

College is like life—you have to take the good with the bad. You may get sick a little more often, but there are so many incredible experiences and opportunities that come with being in college that, to me at least, a few extra coughs seems worth it.

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