It’s quite amazing that, despite the most meticulous planning, nothing ever goes according to plan. Suffice it to say that I should have prefaced my weekend plans with “Lord willing“.
This morning I woke up at 4am with a virus that, in all sincerity, must have been Satan himself in viral form. Never have I gotten sick to my stomach so many times in an eight hour span (well over a dozen). So, instead of spending lunch with George we spent over 3 hours in the ER of a local hospital getting rehydrated intravenously. Fortunately for me we found a Catholic hospital. I think they must have performed an exorcism while I slept.
Virusdoc, have you come across such a foul demon in your studies?


Hopefully you vomited all the sin from your system.
Hope you get rehydrated and feel better soon.
We really missed you guys but we had a great time. After P.F. Chang’s we went to Barnes & Noble and sat there drinking Starbucks and enjoying each other for about 3 hours! Man they must have really been glad to see us leave! hahaha!
Maybe next time!
Peace & Freedom
sounds like you had a run in with the Norovirus family, aka the “cruise ship vomit virus.” It’s a particularly unpleasant experience, as you found out. Our lab actually studies this virus. No one has any idea why it causes such intense nausea.
Your demonic comments are obviously tongue-in-cheek, but the question of how to deal theologically with things like viruses–which require the parasitic destruction of animal cells in order to grow, but otherwise are quite inert and some would argue not even a life form–is a really vexing one for me.
Glad you’re feeling better! Your house will be covered with infectious particles of this virus, BTW, so lysol the surfaces before having guests over. That’s how it spreads so rapidly on cruise ships–the virus can survive for days on a hard, dry surface.
glad you’re doing better!
did she love the ring? you must elaborate.
Hilarious, sensitive report on your encounter with the deadly. Keep writing !
Grateful for you survival and release from it is short order.
Blessing that the attack occured at the end of your plans.
Virusdoc- So are you saying that viruses aren’t really “alive” unless they’re destroying living cells? That almost sounds, well, evil. I’d love to read a more detailed post on this if you have time.
Heather- Yes, she loved the ring. It was as excited as the first time I gave her one (since we’re already married and the ring was virtually identical to the first one). But she’s glad to have it back. Oh, here’s an interesting interaction after she had put the ring on:
Me: So will you marry me?
Andrea: We’re already married!
Me: So would you do it again?
Andrea: In a heartbeat.
It was sweet.