A thread below brought these questions to mind.

For the hobbyist -

1. Have you ever showed up and could tell the lady was not 100%, either early in a cold cycle or just getting over one? What did you do, stay or go?

2. When flu season hits, do you not hobby, or take your chances?

For the ladies

1. When you get sick, and have to cancel, do you use a generic reason with men you've seen multiple times, or do you let them know you are not 100%?

2. Do you avoid certain things like DFK during flu season, or continue with the same activities throughout the year?

I've seen a few providers who were suffering through some stage of a cold. It has to be somewhat of an occupational hazard.

I never really worry about it, because I rarely catch colds and they are very mild when I do. I can't remember the last time I had the flu.

I have always assumed that most providers, with their exposure to lots of people, have a strong resistance to colds or flu, just as I do.

1. Once, but it was in the early stages so I don't think she knew.  When I tried to see her again she had a full-blown cold, so we had to postpone.

2. I will still hobby but not if I have a cold/flu and will definitely walk on a provider if she shows symptoms herself

Once when I went to see an ATF, I told her on arrival that I was coming down with a sore throat and cold, to give her a chance to decide what she wanted to do. She basically said what Herr Zunge said above, that she's exposed to nearly everything and has a strong resistance, so the session went on as scheduled.

If I've gotten ill and must cancel I tell the person I'm cancelling on exactly why I must cancel.  So often I read on the boards about guys who feel like providers use, and I'm quoting earlier posts here, "lame excuses" about the reasons for a cancellation.  I never lie about why I must cancel.  Then I try to send one of my friends in my place.

I don't avoid certain activities during cold/flu season.  I have a fairly strong immune system, but I also bolster it during that time by taking echinacea and additional vitamin C.

and now I get maybe one, and usually it's not even severe enough to require antihistimines.

I used to assume it was due to my extensive hobbying and exposure to all kinds of germs from other people, but I decided to get serious about curtailing colds and read up on the subject and here's what I found out:

Germs on the hands are the most common way of getting infected.  So now I wash my hands several times a day and always after using the toilet.

Eating out in restaurants exposes you to many germs so I started to brown bag it at the office.  It's not only healthier but it saves money that I can use for hobbying and I enjoy what I make more than what I used to get in the fast food places.  I've also dropped a few pounds in the bargain.

Finally, my ex turned me on to a type of vitamin C that is derived from garlic extract that is supposed to be very good at preventing colds.  It may be placebo effect, but she swore by it and since I've started using it, I've been nearly cold free.

Try these items and see if your own personal health doesn't improve.

(Still not a doctor, but I like to play one.)

The advice you've given is right on the money.  The best way to prevent cold/flu is frequent hand washing.  (God, I hope everyone washes their hands after using the toilet!)  We pick up loads of bacteria (which do not cause cold/flu) and viruses (which DO cause colds/flu) on our hands everywhere we go.  When we scratch our noses or rub our eyes we then infect ourselves with those virues.  Direct exposure to someone who is ill isn't required to become ill ourselves.

As far as the body discerning the different sources of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)....Well...to my knowledge, chemically it doesn't know the difference.  Now, whether ALL that's in those pills is vit c and not some other chemical property of garlic that might have some antiviral effect...I don't know that either.  I do know that Vit C in general does bolster the immune system so that you more easily fight off the viruses to which you are exposed.

Certainly, avoiding fast food is a good idea for anybody for a variety of reasons.  I don't know about everywhere else, but here in Vegas I've noticed that fast-food workers are no longer wearing gloves.  When I questioned a restraunt manager about the lack thereof, he said that the workers were only required to wash their hands every 30 minutes.  Yeah...like there's an alarm clock in the back that rings and everyone runs to the sink to wash their hands....sure....and I have some ocean front property in Arizona for sale.....

when i'm sick, i'll cancel any upcoming appointments, and not reschedule again until i'm back at 100%. i'm a pretty honest person, i'll tell clients i'm coming down with a cold.

as far as "flu season," i don't put much stock into such things, probably because i've never had the flu myself. if someone appears sick, i'll go on and ask them about it, and avoid engaging in certain activities with them. otherwise i don't make any adjustments.

I do hobby during the cold and flu season.  I don't recall any ladies that showed signs of illness.  But I have comedown sick after an encounter with a provider, but there is no way to say she transmitted the cold to me.

One time I had made an appointment a few days ahead of time, then came down with a very bad cold the day of the appointment.  I called the lady and told her what was going on and we agreed to cancel the appointment.  

The cold a flu season last several months but most who get sick are only sick for a week or less.  Its just something we have to go through every year.  Unless you are going to become a hermit every winter.

-- Modified on 8/1/2007 2:08:56 PM

Back then, I decided to just do a couple things differently.

1. I always carry my own pen in my pocket for signing credit slips, etc.

2. I also use the end of the pen for pressing elevator buttons.

3. When it is cooler and I have long sleeves on, I use it to open doors.

4. When I use the bathroom at work and elsewhere, when there are paper towels, after washing my hands I use the towel toopen the door when I exit, then throw it away. Since anywhere from 30-50+% of guys don't wash their hands when they leave the rest room, I avoid getting all their germs back on my handsd this way.

I'm no Howard Hughes germaphobe, but just doing those things really made a difference.

Mary and you mentioned Vitamin C. A few years ago I was speaking with a PhD nutritionist who had worked with Dr. Linus Pauling in his last years of life, and he told me that just before Pauling died he told him that he was right about Vitamin C, but had been wrong on the format. It wasn't ascorbic acid that should be taken, it was ascorbyl palmitate. Apparently the latter stays in the body a lot longer and he found was 20-times more potent. So I take some before get togethers during cold season. Again, anecdotal, but seems to work.