I am Julie, a 30-year-old mother of two cats. I'm also a teacher, a writer, a Backstreet Boys fan, and a Nick Plague survivor.
My battle with Nick Plague began almost two years ago. In September 2014, I fell ill several days after attending a Nick & Knight concert in Chicago and was self-diagnosed with Nick Plague. After two grueling weeks, my disease went into remission, only to relapse a month later after I came into contact with Nick again on the Backstreet Boys cruise. The second bout of Nick Plague was even worse than the first; I was so sick, I had to stay home on Thanksgiving to avoid infecting my family. That was the lowest point in my long illness, but soon afterward, I began to bounce back and eventually made a full recovery. By that point, I thought I'd finally beat Nick Plague for good... but oh boy, was I wrong!
On March 19, 2016, I went to another Nick show in Chicago, this time for his All American tour. It was my first time seeing him since the last bout with Nick Plague. I thought my immune system had had plenty of time to recover, but still, I came prepared with a bottle of my custom I'm Taking Off Nick's Germs hand sanitizer in my purse. Within two minutes of taking the stage for soundcheck, Nick had already coughed into his hand, wiped his nose on his sleeve, and snorted a big wad of snot back up into his nose between songs, so I knew I would need it.
When it came time to meet Nick and take a picture, I had my friend Lynsey go ahead of me and disinfect Nick's hands, but even so, I wasn't taking any changes. I skipped the handshake altogether and went in for the hug. I believe this was my mistake. Although I used the hand sanitizer immediately afterwards, I had no way to prevent inhaling the plague germs that still clung to Nick's shoulder from where he'd wiped his nose on his shirt. From that moment on, I was doomed.
Sure enough, three days later, I woke with a tickle in the back of my throat. Before I knew it, I found myself battling a full-blown recurrence of Nick Plague. I decided to start this page to keep my family, friends, and readers updated on my condition as I take on this disease once again. Your prayers and positive vibes are much appreciated! With your love and support, I know I'll be able to beat this thing.
For more information on Nick Plague, please visit the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.