A few weeks ago, about the time Dylan was having fun with ear infections, I developed a minor cold with a cough. The ear infections came and went. My cold came and went. The cough, however, seemed to like hanging around.

Eric finally started in on me to call our doctor. "It could be bronchitis by now". I resisted. While I was still coughing, it was a fairly productive cough and I've never had bronchitis in my life.

But then after the third or fourth time I had a coughing fit violent enough to make me throw up, and I realized I could feel an internal itch when I coughed at other times, I gave in.

Did I have a common cold? Bronchitis? Nope. Not me.

I seem to have pertussis. Which, aside from being the "P" in the DPT vaccines all children have, is better known as whooping cough.

What?!?!?! Who the hell gets whooping cough in this day and age??

Apparantly, it's all the rage right now. In a few months, you'll all be hearing about the vaccines the CDC is sending out for it.

I'm such the trendsetter.

But for those of you, like me, who never ever ever assumed anyone we knew would actually get the damn thing let me tell you how fun it is.

Lots.

Seriously, though, it's essentially a semi-nasty lingering cough. That's really it. I've been on antibiotics so no one else will get it (and for those of you I've seen recently, I haven't been around any of you long enough for you to catch it. It actually takes quite a bit of exposure). But now I just get to keep coughing for several more weeks (how fun is that!!) until I stop. That's it.

Stay tuned for when our heroine comes down with the bubonic plague...