Staying healthy on Humira

I've been on Humira for about six months, and it's been my miracle drug. But it looks like I could use some tips for avoiding colds/flu/other pesky bugs. I've had four colds in the past six months, compared to 0-2 per year before. I just got over the most recent one about a week ago, and now, after a three-day conference for work, I seem to have picked up something else (chills, aches, overwhelming nausea). What are your strategies for staying healthy? Does vitamin C, zinc, etc help? What about for conference-type situations, when you're sharing bathrooms and going through buffet lines with 200 other people? Is it worth packing my own food? I'm getting a little overwhelmed just thinking about how easy it is to pick up other people's germs.

Good hand washing! If I must go through a self-serve buffet line, I will put down my plate after filling it and go wash my hands or pull out my mini-size hand sanitizer. Always use the paper towel to turn off bathroom faucets and to use the door knobs/handles. I usually have 1-2 folded up paper towels in my purse in case restrooms have only the air blower type hand dryers.

You might want to invest in a stylus like those used on electronic gear. I use it to input my PIN into pay terminals, to touch "no" to "Cash Back", and to sign my name electronically. This means I never have to touch the stylus attached to those machines. They are seldom cleaned and hundreds of people use them daily.

You want to avoid any food that has been sitting out too long, especially fresh cut up fruit, so you can avoid food poisoning. I never buy cut up fruit in cafeteria lines for that reason. If you are in those situations in conferences, it may make sense to bring your own food. I just started some part time work in a hospital, and I have had two major colds in the past three weeks....my body is needing to get used to all the nasty new germs! I have to go to two, out of town three- day conferences in April, and I'm kind of dreading it, and I'm not even on biologics. It is frustrating!