My body possibly created new strain of common cold virus??

[Dan Druff]

As some of you following my WSOP updates may have noticed, I have had some issues with credit cards in Europe.

Oops... I mean I've had some issues with cold symptoms emerging during the past week of WSOP play.

It started at home before I returned to the WSOP. I felt cold symptoms coming on Thursday, June 18, but they mostly subsided the next day, and I registered for the June 20 Extended Play NL event. Then the cold picked up strength, and hit me hard right after the dinner break on Day 1 of that event. The symptoms somewhat moderated after that, and while I had to blow my nose a lot, I was otherwise okay, and in fact did radio the night before the $10k Limit event.

On June 26, the day before the $1500 50/50 NL event, I felt unusually tired, and a weird cough showed up suddenly. The next day, during the event, I started feeling body aches and other symptoms I'm used to being associated with the onset of a new cold. While I can't be 100% certain, I believe I caught a second cold (different strain) at the WSOP -- probably at the 10k event -- and it showed up "on top" of the existing cold from the previous week, which hadn't yet gone away.

I've never had this happen before. I have had back-to-back colds, but never 2 colds at once, until now. But is this possible? The answer is yes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/he...real.html?_r=0

And it turns out not only is this possible, but there is recent evidence that double colds are what lead to the creation of new strains of cold viruses, where they essentially combine through a process called recombination.

At the moment, there are 99 strains of the rhinovirus, which is typically responsible for the common cold. If a new strain was actually created in my body, it would have to be transmitted to enough people to where it could infect a continuous "chain" of people before dying out. Normally this wouldn't happen, as I wouldn't come into contact with mass numbers of people, and even a new cold strain would die out before becoming recognized as #100. However, given that I just played poker with chips that will be touched by thousands of people, and then they will return to various areas of the country and world....

[phantom]

have you ever considered you are a hypercondriac and just need to harden the fuck up

[Dan Druff]

have you ever considered you are a hypercondriac and just need to harden the fuck up

Just reporting the facts here. Actually I cashed twice, one of them very deep, when these cold symptoms showed up.

I was 0-5 in all other events I played.

I'm planning to ask sick kids at Ben's school to cough on me around July 3 (no school on the 4th, obv), so I can get sick again just in time for the Main.

[Belly Buster]

have you ever considered you are a hypercondriac and just need to harden the fuck up

Just reporting the facts here. Actually I cashed twice, one of them very deep, when these cold symptoms showed up.

I was 0-5 in all other events I played.

I'm planning to ask sick kids at Ben's school to cough on me around July 3 (no school on the 4th, obv), so I can get sick again just in time for the Main.

Sick brag.

[DRK Star]

Attend a three-day Phish festival.

You will come up with symptoms that doctors havent discovered yet, and they linger for weeks.

[4Dragons]

Attend a three-day Phish festival.

You will come up with symptoms that doctors havent discovered yet, and they linger for weeks.

As long as it isn't acute Juggalosis of the liver, you should be ok.

[Wiganer]

Attend a three-day Phish festival.

You will come up with symptoms that doctors havent discovered yet, and they linger for weeks.

If you voluntarily attended a 3 day Phish festival you've got also got serious ongoing mental health issues to contend with. Psychedeloncolia?

[cmoney]

Attend a three-day Phish festival.

You will come up with symptoms that doctors havent discovered yet, and they linger for weeks.

I am pretty sure you get super aids immediately on entry to the gathering of Juggalos.

[devidee]

Jewbola.

[BeerAndPoker]

Druff's immune system got 99 problems but cashing a WSOP event ain't one.

[4Dragons]

Jewbola.

Maybe just a touch of zionisis, doesn't sound like full blown jewbola.

[delaware]

jewdonk caught this visus many years ago on a return from a cruise ship he was working on. druff picked it up from him when he was in vegas a few years ago. if you notice it attacks your body in very hot weather.it never leaves your system but can stay dormant for 3 to 4 years at a time.last year same thing happened.they told jewdonk he could live till hes 60 then it comes and stays until it kills you.this is why jewdonk drinks. its proven to kill the virus and add years to his life. you will be just fine. jewdonk knows what its called i forgot but you can look it up.being close to people that work on ships is a minus ev deal if you drink for 3 days just 6 or 7 will knock it out for another year

[herbertstemple]

You probably drank that nasty water they have in LV. That crap will kill you.

You want to quit getting sick? Eat raw garlic and drink grape juice.

[splitthis]

Hope you've had a complete blood work up lately. How often you are ill can be signs of other problems. Get yourself checked and if all ok you need a better diet and vitamins.

[Dan Druff]

Hope you've had a complete blood work up lately. How often you are ill can be signs of other problems. Get yourself checked and if all ok you need a better diet and vitamins.

Average adult gets 2-3 colds per year, average kid gets 6-12.

When you have a young kid in the house, you catch more than the 2-3, for obvious reasons.

I am not the least bit concerned about this. Got 4 really bad colds during the second half of 2010 (all of which were much worse than the two I have now), but then in 2011 I think I got one all year. Just seems to be a function of exposure and luck.

Been through this discussion here before. I have 142 total cholesterol (no meds), low heart rate, zero allergies, zero hospitalizations other than twice for injuries, and had good blood pressure until last year when it went into moderately high territory, but that is hereditary. Overall my health is very good for a 43 year old, at least when it comes to the important things.

[cmoney]

Hope you've had a complete blood work up lately. How often you are ill can be signs of other problems. Get yourself checked and if all ok you need a better diet and vitamins.

Average adult gets 2-3 colds per year, average kid gets 6-12.

When you have a young kid in the house, you catch more than the 2-3, for obvious reasons.

I am not the least bit concerned about this. Got 4 really bad colds during the second half of 2010 (all of which were much worse than the two I have now), but then in 2011 I think I got one all year. Just seems to be a function of exposure and luck.

Been through this discussion here before. I have 142 total cholesterol (no meds), low heart rate, zero allergies, zero hospitalizations other than twice for injuries, and had good blood pressure until last year when it went into moderately high territory, but that is hereditary. Overall my health is very good for a 43 year old, at least when it comes to the important things.

Btw, you probably already know this but a lot of doctors will diagnosis you as high when you are normal (including myself). I actually know a few people that had normal blood pressure most of the time but were put on meds just from the one BP reading at their annual physical. Being nervous about the blood pressure reading itself can make your BP spike. So can a salty meal for the reading etc.

My BP is usually 110/70. I have a cuff monitor at home. I went to the gym before my physical ( which happens to be connected to my doctors office). The nurse took my BP and it was 145/90. When the doctor came into the room the first thing he wanted to discuss was my high BP and possible meds to lower it. He wanted to get my "BP under control," I explained to him that I had just done a crazy work out and my heart rate was probably 150+ when they took my BP. He took my BP again and it was lower than my normal 110/70.

Had I not said anything, i probably would be on meds today. Doctors are fuck ups just like the rest of us. They should be respected but not thought as gods. So many people are misdiognosed by incompetent doctors. They really only have so long to talk to you and cant be a professional in all areas.

Do your own research and my advice would be to get a second opinion before taking any meds stronger than an advil.

[Dan Druff]

Average adult gets 2-3 colds per year, average kid gets 6-12.

When you have a young kid in the house, you catch more than the 2-3, for obvious reasons.

I am not the least bit concerned about this. Got 4 really bad colds during the second half of 2010 (all of which were much worse than the two I have now), but then in 2011 I think I got one all year. Just seems to be a function of exposure and luck.

Been through this discussion here before. I have 142 total cholesterol (no meds), low heart rate, zero allergies, zero hospitalizations other than twice for injuries, and had good blood pressure until last year when it went into moderately high territory, but that is hereditary. Overall my health is very good for a 43 year old, at least when it comes to the important things.

Btw, you probably already know this but a lot of doctors will diagnosis you as high when you are normal (including myself). I actually know a few people that had normal blood pressure most of the time but were put on meds just from the one BP reading at their annual physical. Being nervous about the blood pressure reading itself can make your BP spike. So can a salty meal for the reading etc.

My BP is usually 110/70. I have a cuff monitor at home. I went to the gym before my physical ( which happens to be connected to my doctors office). The nurse took my BP and it was 145/90. When the doctor came into the room the first thing he wanted to discuss was my high BP and possible meds to lower it. He wanted to get my "BP under control," I explained to him that I had just done a crazy work out and my heart rate was probably 150+ when they took my BP. He took my BP again and it was lower than my normal 110/70.

Had I not said anything, i probably would be on meds today. Doctors are fuck ups just like the rest of us. They should be respected but not thought as gods. So many people are misdiognosed by incompetent doctors. They really only have so long to talk to you and cant be a professional in all areas.

Do your own research and my advice would be to get a second opinion before taking any meds stronger than an advil.

Believe it or not, I decided for myself to get on BP meds!

At a doctor's visit related to something else, my BP showed up unexpectedly high. Knowing that it can sometimes be high due to stress or other factors, I didn't panic.

Over the next few days, I took my blood pressure several times, and I found that, indeed, it tended to show up in the 148/89 type range. Not terrible, but moderately high, and far higher than the normal BP I had for my entire life.

I called the doctor, explained what I found, and he prescribed the medication.

It has only had limited effectiveness, so I might need to get on a second one. My brother, a cardiologist, is an expert on this stuff, and he agreed that I should. My blood pressure elevation is not related to diet, which hasn't changed. It's hereditary, as it has been common in my family for BP to go up in our 30s and 40s. Mine actually held low a lot longer than I thought it would.

[Sanlmar]

You can afford the luxury of being a shut in. Very nice but it comes at a cost. Non existent immune system.

You might be up to hours in a poker room. You can't change that circumstance. But the bankrupt hotel that changes sheets once a week on the 10 year old bed & pillow. Is saving a few bucks really worth feeling like shit and making bad decisions cause you aren't top top?

Every year at this time it's pages of vitamins, blood pressure, and denial. It's variance, right?

Is the WSOP just a business trip or do you actually enjoy the experience?

[Dan Druff]

You can afford the luxury of being a shut in. Very nice but it comes at a cost. Non existent immune system.

You might be up to hours in a poker room. You can't change that circumstance. But the bankrupt hotel that changes sheets once a week on the 10 year old bed & pillow. Is saving a few bucks really worth feeling like shit and making bad decisions cause you aren't top top?

Every year at this time it's pages of vitamins, blood pressure, and denial. It's variance, right?

Is the WSOP just a business trip or do you actually enjoy the experience?

The Rio has its issues, but dirty bed sheets aren't one of them. CET owns their own laundromat in North Las Vegas (not sure why that far away), and they ship all of their sheets between stays over there. They always change sheets between stays, but don't change the comforter.

Hotel rooms are never completely sanitary. There have been tons of studies on this. Even the nicest hotels engage in substandard cleaning procedures. Too many rooms, and too little time to clean them all.

I'm not catching colds from dirty Rio rooms. Cold #1 came from home (likely Benjamin). Cold #2 came from play at the WSOP (a hotbed of germs, for obvious reasons).

This is the first time since 2010 (if I recall properly) that I had issues with colds at the WSOP.

The reason you remember hearing me talking about colds on PFA is because of the radio show, which I will sometimes skip or delay if I have major cold symptoms. Everyone else doesn't feel the need to announce when they have a cold on PFA.

Bottom line is that the Rio is the best choice of where to stay for the WSOP. The convenience is huge, especially during breaks when you always have the option to return to your room and relax.

To answer your last question, I go to the WSOP because I enjoy it. Business-wise, it would be a better use of my time to just stay home and play on Bovada. For the first 4 years of my involvement in poker, I ignored the WSOP, but I got "the fever" once I played it and did so well in my first two. Now I always have an excitement leading up to it, despite all of the inevitable operational fail and heartbreaking moments which will occur.

[WillieMcFML]

first thing i do when checking into a hotel is get rid of the fucking comforter

so much nastiness on them that never gets clean