Sick at the Happiest Place on Earth

I mentioned that I just returned from Disney World. What I didn't mention was that on day two of seven, I woke up with a sore throat, a headache, and nonstop drainage. That was a real bummer, I'll tell you what. I get these symptoms pretty regularly - must be an allergy attack or something, and usually when I get these symptoms, it's a predictable schedule and progression that usually lays me out with nausea for a day or two.

Now, when you're staying on Disney property, you're in a controlled little world. We didn't even rent a car, because they pick you up at the airport, take your bags directly to your room so you don't have to deal with them, and let you go directly to the parks after checking in. It's a great deal, but it pretty much means that you don't have many options for getting stuff that you can't find in the gift shops at the resorts.

Thankfully, Disney had a deal with a local pharmacy. We called them up, they recommended some items, and delivered them to our resort within an hour. I just had to run down to the lobby and pick it up. To my surprise, the drugs they recommended actually staved off the illness for the duration of our time in Orlando, rather than just taking the edge off. (The sore throat and runny nose hit me pretty hard once we got back - I'm only just now getting over it - but this was the first time that predictable progression ever changed much.)

One theory is that these brand drugs are somehow significantly better than my usual brand. But then why would those same drugs stop working as well once I returned to New Mexico? Maybe I was the happy beneficiary of the placebo effect - knowing that I was at the "happiest place on Earth" may have given my body the boost it needed to stave off the sickness for the days I was there. There are stories of elderly people staving off death long enough to see important celebrations and milestones of their children; maybe the promise of riding the Haunted Mansion again had a similar effect...?