Warranty Expiring?

Ever notice how your car starts to fall apart the day after your warranty expires? Do the car manufacturers somehow plan for this and build it into the car's computer system? I wonder.

Well, I'm approaching my 50th birthday and beginning to wonder if my "warranty" is just about up. Allow me to explain. I contracted some sort of annoying cough several weeks ago--just after I "recovered" from a regular cold. Ticklish and scratchy throat. I coughed and coughed for a couple of weeks but didn't feel sick at all. Then last Thursday night--the night I picked Lance up from the airport after he spent the better part of the week in Southern California and I had to play the roles of both parents (a job I don't relish)--I started to feel sick. I was awake most of the night coughing my lungs out. At least it felt like I would cough up my lungs. Friday morning I felt better--well enough to walk my short route with Jeanne and Tyler. Monday night brought a more expanded set of symptoms including a fever, fatigue and a horribly runny, stuffy nose. Did I have swine flu?

Of course I didn't go to the doctor because I rarely do. Lance visited a doctor and was diagnosed with "community pneumonia." I'll get well riding his coattails, I reason. Sara's chronic state of ill health was entering an acute phase, and Zachary was still taking the antiobiotic the allergist prescribed for his sinus infection. I drank a lot of herbal tea sweetened with liberal amounts of honey and became addicted to a new kind of lozenge--Hall's Naturals (the honey-filled peach-flavored ones are as good or better than candy).

During the past few days, a host of other (some seemingly-unrelated) symptoms have cropped up. While sitting in the chair watching one of "my" reality TV shoes, I shifted my leg and heard a pop in my right knee. No swelling, but a lot of pain. The pain has mostly subsided thanks to my trusty Phiten titanium disc patches. I developed a massive headache from coughing and blowing my nose way too much. I can't lift my left arm above shoulder level without the top of my arm aching. My left hip is causing me some pain (a chronic problem). My sternum hurts (probably from coughing too much). Yesterday morning I awoke with conjunctivitis in both eyes. There are other issues as well, but I'll spare you the details.

Does my body know I'm approaching the magic age of 50? Am I crossing the line into old age? I guess I'll just have to break out the t-shirt I bought for myself that reminds me: "You can only be young once, but you can be immature forever." At least I can remain immature as long as I wish!