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FG,

Thanks for the advice and research. Unfortunately, I'm in kind of a delicate position with my immune system, in that I don't want to strengthen it. Rather, I'm aiming for an equilibrium with the drugs prescribed by my nephrologists. Too strong an immune system and it attacks and rejects my new kidney, resulting in dialysis and another transplant. Too weak, and I'm vulnerable to infections and cancer. Thus, I'm strongly advised not to take any herbal supplements at all, as they might upset this balance.

I try to take in at least 5-7 servings of fruits and veggies every day, and I'm specifically encouraged to eat spinach for its high magnesium content. Plus, the doc suggested a bowl of ice cream after dinner every night, a glass of red wine at bedtime, and all the halibut I can afford. I like his prescriptions!

Hang in there Brian!

You might want to take a trip to your local health food/ vitamin store & start taking vitamins and minerals that will help with giving your immune system a boost. If you (or your doctors) don't like this idea, consider having a fresh salad every day. Getting fresh, raw fruits and veggies in you each and every day will go a long ways in improving your immune system.

For viruses... a lot of athletes use Cold FX as it won't cause them to fail any drug tests as it's just ginseng.
http://www.coldfx.com If you can't find it e-mail me your address and I'll send you some (I did this for ParryThis last winter). It works really well in not only preventing you from getting sick but reducing the severity.

If the ginseng is an issue for you (as it is for me.... it makes me too hyper) there's a number of other herbal immune boosters available. I use Cold XP because it has less ginseng but adds echinacea so I tolerate it better.

Another product I love is Emergen-C
http://www.emergenc.com (free samples are available online).
Not only do they make a great electrolyte replacement (with no/little sugar) but you can get a good boost of Vitamin C & minerals. The pouches are easy to carry & dissolve in your water bottle. I discovered it when I saw a number of the fencers in the finals dropping it in their water bottle before their last bouts. I use this to give myself a nutritional lift during tournaments & long days in different schools where I'm exposed to a lot of bugs.