It was the single worst experience of my life. I was in a hotel, a fever crept in. Then my throat was so swollen I could barely talk. I was sweating so much that my delirious brain decided it would be a good idea to lay out all the clothes in my suitcase onto the bed. I had a fever dream that my brother had called an ambulance to save me.

I then woke up to realise I was still actually in hell. I managed to muster up the strength to go down to the hotel lobby and ask the hotel receptionist to direct me to the nearest pharmacy. I almost couldn't speak because my throat was almost swollen shut. Sweat was literally pouring down my face and I sounded, let's say, incompetent.

I eventually arrived at the pharmacy and I honestly credit the lovely lady there for saving my life. She gave me fever reducers and a concentrated iodine-based throat gargle.

It took around five days to recover from this, I had missed my flight and had to book a new one back. When I arrived back home, the first comment I received was "there is no colour in your face, you're white as a sheet".

I've had many of the nasty viruses several times (covid, you-name-it flu, measles even, please do not ask).

This was by far the worst illness I can remember.