Hand, Foot and Mouth

From the Detroit Free Press's tech columnist, Mike Wendland, comes this funny/odd story:

So there I was packed and ready to fly to Philadelphia today for a media briefing by Comcast.

Except I couldn't shake this weird fever I've been running since Sunday, trying to control with Advil and the like. There have been no other symptoms, just the fever.

I took my temperature around 9am and it was near 102.

I headed to the doctor on the way to the airport.

Then I headed home, where I now sit in a recliner updating this blog by wi-fi.

I had to cancel the trip because the doctor said I have something called hand, foot and mouth disease.

Don't laugh, though I will understand a snicker or two. Seems I caught it from one of my grandkids. It's mostly a kid disease but sometimes adults do get it. The doc said it was contagious and best if I cancel the trip.

The fever comes and goes with the drugs. When it comes, it knocks me out with aches and chills and fatigue. But when the drugs bring it down, like now, I feel tolerable, but tired.

I tried to cancel my airplane ticket. No dice. As the reservation clerk explained reading the fares and restrictions info from my ticket, the only way Northwest would let me out of it was if I died.

I'm not quite that bad.

But I would have infected the whole plane if I flew. Somehow, you'd think a doctor's note or something would convince the airline it was best for them that I didn't fly.

A new worry? . . . first, hoof-and-mouth, then mad-cow, now hand-foot-and-mouth disease? Yikes!