Round one

You may have heard me quip, ‘good health is more often than not just accidental.’

I know this sounds like heresy to you and me who work hard at getting and staying healthy. Maybe it’s even a little cynical. But please hear me out.

I’ve had two rounds of illness this year. The first was in the autumn, while caravanning through the Australian Central Desert. What was the sickness? More than anything, it was extremely unpleasant. Not the least for not being at home…in my own bed. Perhaps it was a lurgy–with flu-like symptoms that stubbornly hung around for several weeks.

It’s not true that misery loves company. It would have been better if Daniel’s virus had followed mine or vice versa. When we went shopping, we would fill our trolley with family-size aloe vera tissues, cold pills, Panadeine Forte, Nurofen, and fresh fruit and veg when we could get it.

Then, when we returned home, we headed straight to our local medical centre for flu shots.

Round two (and hopefully, that’s it!)

My second illness came on last week, starting with a bit of a scratchy throat, followed by lack of energy, head congestion and, a few days later, conjunctivitis. The doctor I consulted said, ‘probably a sinus infection, which can lead to eye infection’.

Oh, and the ‘jab’ gives no protection for this. (Ten myths about the flu shot.)

Since this latest bout hit, I haven’t been operating at my best. But I keep thinking of a few near and dear friends grappling with chronic conditions. One of them for more than a decade. He reminds me that you grab the goodness that life offers you whenever you can.

Travelling through N.T., Queensland, Northern Rivers, N.S.W., I saw exquisite sunrises and sunsets, beautiful rainforest vegetation, wetlands and tablelands.

I hope you escape any illnesses this year, but just in case you don’t, keep looking for those breaks in the cloud cover that let the sun in.

And, I’m sure you’ll appreciate your accidental good health much more when the lurgy fog lifts.