Lucky Number Seven?

I suspect that I have come down with bronchitis for the SEVENTH time in my life. *sigh*

The first time I had it was in high school, grade 10. I had a dry cough for over two weeks (and endured many "Melissa, you really have to stop smoking" jokes from Mr. Sawicki) before I finally went to a doctor. I got it again the next year.

My lungs took a break for a year before I got it again in the winter vacation of first year university. I got it once more in university (in third year, I think? maybe fourth year).

Then I hit the bronchitis jackpot and got it twice within one (school) year--once in November (a particularly nasty bout that was a double punch of bronchitis-laryngitis) and then again in May (when my parents were on vacation and weren't home to take care of me =/ ).

There was a time in November when I was worried that I might get it, but it ended up being just a minor cold (it went away after about two days).

This time, though, all my past experience is telling me that I've got bronchitis yet again. Monday night I developed a sore throat and the next morning I had sinus congestion and a dry cough. The cough has gotten worse and I'm coughing up a storm as I type. Wednesday night I felt slightly feverish and this (Saturday) afternoon I'm pretty sure I had a mild fever.

So yeah, everything is pointing to bronchitis.

I kind of wonder though, if it might be somewhat psychosomatic? I mean, every time I have a sore throat and a bit of a dry cough, I wonder "Could this be the onset of bronchitis?" Maybe my body gets tired of my mental breath-holding and says: "What? You want bronchitis? I'll give you bronchitis!"??

Otherwise I really don't know how to explain getting bronchitis (probably) seven times in ten years. I don't get it often enough for it to be chronic bronchitis (I think), but I get it frequently enough to wonder...

*sigh* Anyway, it's a good thing I brought lots of Ricola (for dry coughs and for sore throats) as well a bottle of Benylin with me in October. I've got a bunch of end of (the school) year enkai's right now, so I don't want to worry people by wearing a face mask or by coughing a lot.

Even though I was coughing pretty much all day today, thanks to the Benylin and Ricola I managed to not cough for nearly the entire length of the Kirita PTA enkai and nijikai (second party). I started coughing a bit towards the end of my time at the nijikai (being in a smoky room and being asked to sing karaoke probably did the trick), but it wasn't bad enough to make people seriously worry.

But yeah, if it gets really bad I may need to ask my supervisor to take me to a doctor so I can get a couple of days of sick leave.