Ducky... I wonder if strep doesn't lie dormant in your system all the time and "gets" you when your resistance is down. This is what a dr. told me many years ago about the fact that I constantly got strep throat. He put me on long term anti-biotics that knocked it finally out of my system and I never got it again. Of course in this day and age it's possible that anti biotics don't work anymore because of over use...whatever but I think it's worth asking him about it. Strep is so hard on our hearts...sending you love and keeping you in my prayers.

Congrats on not smoking, that's hard enough without being sick on top of it!