asking why my dreaful heat rash (after my last trip to North Africa) went on for three weeks instead of the normal agony three days, he said "it's obvious - your Mum's death".

Apparently the stress and grief has a massive effect you simply don't notice and the worst impact is on your immune system which gets destroyed - so the good old heat rash went "Yummy; he's weak and pathetic, we can REALLY go to town". And they did!

Masses of horrid tasting vitamin tablets for you I presume then!
It`s a swine the immune system getting attacked whilst weak,, the small bugs that nobody has heard of yet, get their first chance to make a name for themselves.
Mrs Mart contracted Limes desease,we had never heard of that one either, one of only 765 cases in the UK last year apparently.