This is going to be a little gross. My med school and epidemiologist friends please take note if you have a minute to spare.

I get sick about every two or three months. Usually starts out as a sinus situation that becomes an upper respiratory event.

My most recent sickness has lasted about six weeks. Last week I was nearly feeling better and then I took for a turn for the worse. Cough and congestion was joined by fever and aches.

Once the fever subsided, something interesting happened: the taste of my phlegm changed.

As I said, I get sick a lot and it is usually a fairly similar set of symptoms, so I think I have experience in this area. And this mucus tastes different. Unlike any mucus/expectorated substance I’ve ever had the pleasure of having in my mouth.

So. What does this mean? Anything? Is it a different strand of the common cold? Have I stumbled upon the mutated form of the disease that is going to wipe us all out? Am I patient zero?

Advice/knowledge/words of comfort would be appreciated.

Also, in the same way that ‘travel writing’ is a genre, is ‘personal minor ailment’ writing a genre? If so, I could really see myself enjoying getting into that.