How many times can a reasonably healthy person get sick in one winter?

[Ali in OR]

My dh is sick yet again today. Since mid November, I think this is the 5th time he has had an illness involving vomiting. He also had a cold all this week with seriously impacted sinuses and coughing and another coughing illness sometime around Thanksgiving. The colds have also hit a dd here and there, and we were all hit by the norovirus over Christmas. But a lot of these illnesses have hit dh only--the rest of us don't get sick. So I don't really think the norovirus is lurking in the house somewhere. He recovers quickly--usually better (but tired) the next day. He says he either has the worst immune system because he keeps getting sick or the best because he keeps fighting it off in a day.

 

He is active, eats well, takes vitamins, normal weight. Definitely over stressed at work. Was definitely not getting enough sleep, but has tried to be better about that over the last month. He has somewhat chronic sinus issues but otherwise is not usually sick much.

 

Anyone else just getting sick a lot this year? Is there just a lot more going around than usual? Any helpful advice?

[Barb_]

How much vitamin D? We thought we were getting enough because we live where it's sunny year round and drink milk and eat a varied diet, but about 4 years ago on DD caught mono and her levels came back fairly deficient in Vitamin D. Doc said to give her 10000 units for a month and then drop back to 5000 a day. All the adults and teens take 5K a day and the bigger kids take 2K. The 4yo takes a 1K chewable. We almost never get sick beyond the sniffles and a slight headache or bodyache for 2-3 days. Oftentimes needing more sleep for a few days is the only clue we're fighting off something. With 6 kids at home and teens who babysit, we used to STAY sick with everything imaginable.

[Barb_]

Oopsie.

[mom2myboys]

Has he had his gallbladder checked?

[Soror]

My dh has been sick a lot this year too. He doesn't sleep enough and had been until recently on a bit of a sugar binge. I have 5k iu tablets for him to take but I don't know that he always does. This year has been a rough one. The last time dh went to the dr was 3 yrs ago, same for the kiddos and I. Dh just had to go and was diagnosed w/ pneumonia and bronchitis. It seems I'm probably going to have to take dd1 in Monday if she doesn't improve(she was doing better but doesn't seem to be anymore).

[JumpyTheFrog]

If it continues, I'd start to wonder if maybe the vomiting was caused by something other than a virus, especially if the rest of you don't get sick.

[caroljenn]

I get chronic sinus infections, and I've had winters where I've had 6-7 and been sick pretty much all winter. I usually have to have antibiotics to clear things up. About this time last year I started drinking organic green shakes, with weird organic antioxidant powders in them, and I haven't been sick yet! I'm kind of shocked, and the only change that I've really made is the shakes, so I am giving the credit to those.

 

Good luck to your dh - hope he feels better soon!

[Heather in Neverland]

Has there been a change in his environment? My first year of teaching I got strep throat 11 times (I think I just had one long case of strep throat) because I was suddenly exposed to so many new people and new germs in close quarters. It took me a while to build up my immune system.

[Annie Laurie]

I get chronic sinus infections, and I've had winters where I've had 6-7 and been sick pretty much all winter. I usually have to have antibiotics to clear things up. About this time last year I started drinking organic green shakes, with weird organic antioxidant powders in them, and I haven't been sick yet! I'm kind of shocked, and the only change that I've really made is the shakes, so I am giving the credit to those.

 

Good luck to your dh - hope he feels better soon!

 

Do you mind sharing what exactly is in the shakes? I've been sick a lot this winter and really need to not get sick again, so I'm willing to try anything.

[Ali in OR]

Thanks for the input...we're processing the info! Vitamin D is something to consider--we do live in OR and don't see the sun enough. I get about 1200 iu (or whatever the units are) a day through various vitamins and I tested just fine at the end of last winter (ie after not seeing the sun for a long time). Dh has not been tested, but only takes a kids' chewable (400 iu) sporadically when he thinks of it.

 

I just chatted with dh after his day-long nap and he thinks it's norovirus again. Our newspaper reported a lot of local activity of that this week (along with influenza). I know it's going around our ballet studio. I asked him if his workplace felt like a germ fest and he said there's lots of stuff going around there. Well, we all had some strain of this stuff around Christmas and know how contagious it is. We're taking better precautions this time and will all stay home tomorrow.

[Flowing Brook]

Does he have any type of auto immune disease? This might make him sick all of the time.

[BarbecueMom]

I explained to DH how contagious norovirus is after learning that almost every single male in his office takes care of their, um, in-stall toilet usage in the public work bathrooms. I told him that the virus would still be shed long after the sick employee returned to work, and he's been a lot more careful about limiting what he touches, washing hands frequently, and not multitasking while eating (aka, not touching food and the phone/computer at the same time). He says I made him paranoid. Knock on wood, we have been lucky as far as that virus goes... so far...

[Celia]

I hardly ever get sick, and I've had it 4 times since fall. I started getting a fever again last night, and was just shocked. I'm beginning to think that I'm jusst not getting the rest I need to recover and get well enough for my body to fight the next thing that comes along.

 

I want to hibernate. I think bears have it good.

[Excelsior! Academy]

We have been sick twice this year. In a family of 11 that means a good couple of months for it to cycle through everyone. First it was the flu now the norovirus. We are generally healthy and rarely get sick. This year has been brutal!