No one likes getting sick, but in college, between classes, clubs, sporting games, social events and parties, no one has time to get sick. However, once you get sick for the first time, it seems that you enter a cycle which there is no coming back from.
It all starts when your roommate/friend/lecture neighbor/teacher/stranger 100 feet away coughs/clears his or her throat/sneezes/sniffles. Immediately, fear sets in. You hope and pray that the Airborne tablets and gummy vitamins you take will protect you from the sickness that is invading the campus.
But one day, it comes. You wake up with a sore throat or a runny nose, and dread sets in. You take your Airborne tablet and gummy vitamin, praying that the tickle in your throat or stuffy nose will go away. For the rest of the day, those few lucky healthy individuals glare at you every time you cough/clear your throat/sneeze/sniffle. “It’s just allergies,” you tell them, “I swear!” As the day progresses, you feel worse. As nighttime arrives, you decide to watch some Netflix while you sip your chamomile tea. If you’re starting to feel sick you might as well rest, right? Watch an episode or two of "Grey’s Anatomy"/"House of Cards"/"Scandal" and then get to bed early. A good night of sleep will surely have you back in tip top shape.
Five episodes of "Grey’s Anatomy"/"House of Cards"/"Scandal" later, you notice the clock. Oops. It takes you a while to get to sleep -- you’ve forgotten how long it takes to get to sleep when your ability to breathe through your nose has been compromised. The next morning, you wake up with your throat on fire and an incredibly stuffy nose. You now have to accept that you are definitely sick.
You drag yourself to class with a box of tissue by your side. You sit in the back of the class away from other people (if you don’t do this, you should) and try to muffle the coughing and stuffy nose that are sure to gather you dirty looks. As class ends, you stuff all your used tissues into your hand and quickly exit the building. You contemplate going to the library, but let’s be honest -- you are putting your life in real danger if you enter first floor Clem or the McGregor room while sick.
For the next few days, you live off of oatmeal, cereal, soup, and tea. Empty boxes of tissues are scattered on the floor and there is probably a used tissue or two tangled in your bed sheets. Your nose is so red people confuse you for Rudolph. You truly understand the meaning of the saying “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone.” When you get better, you swear to appreciate your healthy and full functioning nose like never before.
Then one day, it is gone. You wake up and your throat isn’t burning or you find that you can breathe through your nose again. You breathe (through your nose!) a sigh of relief. You love life! That is, until, the next time your roommate/friend/lecture neighbor/teacher/stranger 100 feet away coughs/clears his or her throat/sneezes/sniffles. Fear sets in. The cycle continues, with no end in sight.
