Heinie and Doctors

Yes that sounds confusing doesn’t it? I have two things I want to discuss and since I am a somewhat annoying pontificator I will just plow ahead. Please close this page if it get’s too annoying.

Firstly, the swine flu. Remember in one of my past posts I spoke about “the hook”? A.K.A. things that interest me? Well one of my past obsessions was the Spanish Flu of 1918. Back then a mild strain of H1N1 (which looks like heinie to me) started in the spring. Hmmm H1N1 sound familiar? So a number of people caught the flu but very few people died.

Later in the following flu season, most likely around October, it mutated and all hell broke loose. One third of the planet caught the flu and the modest estimate of deaths was 50 million. Canada got off pretty lightly with about 50,000 deaths. This flu was different from others in that it mostly affected and killed healthy young people between the ages of 20 and 44. This flu virus infected lung cells, leading to overstimulation of the immune system causing what is called a cytokine storm. This leads to a breakdown of the lungs. In contrast to other pandemics, which mostly kill the old and the very young, the 1918 pandemic killed unusual numbers of young adults, which may have been due to their healthy immune systems being able to mount a very strong and damaging response to the infection. Apparently one could be fine one day, feel a bit sick in the evening and pass away the next day due to bleeding of the lungs. Lovely isn’t it?

In a weird way it is almost a good thing to get the mild strain now before it mutates because one will be immune to the more virulent strain. Still I’m a fatalist in that whatever happens happens. One can take precautions but that’s all.

So yes I am a geek and have read a lot about this previous to this latest swine flu. As my husband says, “You’re all over this aren’t you?” I guess my response would be, “what am I not all over?” Sometimes it’s exhausting being me.

Speaking of things my husband says, he often mentions that I reveal too much about my personal life to others. (Like here!) I don’t know. Maybe it’s a girl thing in that we find comfort in shared experiences. I also know I don’t like “perfect” people because they are all bullshitters. (Pardon my French). So let me make my husband cringe and let me give you more personal information (sorry Alan!).

If you have read my blog before you might have read that I developed an awful form of psoriasis last winter and had to go for light therapy that cleared it all up and gave me a lovely tan for free. This form of psoriasis is caused by strep throat. Guess what I got again this winter? Oh yes. So it’s back to the light therapy clinic three times a week where I have to get naked AGAIN in front of strangers. Thank the lord it’s almost always women. Until today that is!!! The drill is that you go in and undress totally down to your undies and then the nurse comes to check you out and turn on the machine. Today she asked if a “couple” of med students could come in to see my “unusual” case. Um great. Of course I said yes because after all I am a total people pleaser.

So what do you think of when you think of a “couple” of people? Two or three at most right? Well this “couple” of people turned out to be five boys and one girl! I say boys because dammit if they all weren’t under 26 or something. Thank god I didn’t have on my thong with the heart on the crotch because I might have just died on the spot. Still I crossed my arms across my chest because come on! Of course to be funny I said “well this is a little awkward!” It’s not just people seeing you in the nude that’s an issue it’s that it was a whole gang and my skin is not at my best on my trunk and legs.

This was one of those moments where I wanted the floor to open up and I could disappear. Once again, I found myself in a moment that seems only to happen to me. I must have done something wrong in a past life and am paying for it now. Please, please, please somebody tell me that stuff like this happens to you too!