No matter what you do to prevent it.....

.... you could get sick.

OK, so here is the background. I was really diligent all winter about washing my hands, covering my cough, avoiding people who were sick, taking vitamins, cleaning the handle of the grocery cart, etc.

Here it is, April, and I managed to stay well all winter (one close call - a little extra sleep and extra Vitamin C staved it off).

Well, in spite of my efforts, the common cold caught up with me. I guess I was overdue, but I was feeling pretty invincible for a while there!

I might have caught the bug from a household member - that does make it pretty tough to avoid. I also haven't been getting enough sleep.

But the point here is that no matter what you do to stay well, in a community-wide communicable disease situation -- say, a pandemic influenza, for example -- you might not be able to avoid getting sick.

1. Be prepared to keep your distance from others, if it becomes necessary.
:: That means that you might have to miss out on some events if it means being around others who might be sick -- even church, work or school.
:: That means that you might need to avoid the grocery store, so keep non-perishable food on hand.

2. Do what you can to stay well, especially if there is something going around.
:: Wash your hands - a LOT!
:: Keep your immune system strong. Eat healthy. Get enough sleep.

3. Stay informed.
:: Know where to get good info about diseases and prevention. We like CDC and we will do our best to pass on the best info at www.cdphe.state.co.us/epr !
:: Use your resources, whether it is your doctor, the web, or your local public health agency.