How sick can orchid growing make us?

[Tropic]

Having grown orchids for over 60 years in the tropics and faced many hazards that can be related directly to my interest in the collecting and growing of orchids, I have survived fairly well and therefore now wonder how many other orchid enthusiasts have experienced the same fate and can now offer some advice regarding the dangers and benefits of growing orchids. I have been basically lucky and admit surviving the bites of snakes, ticks and spiders, the stings of ants, scorpions, wasps, bees and yet unknown insects plus the resulting near fatal fungus and bacterial infections that resulted from such attacks and injury. That was then, but now I still also face additional dangers from chemical toxins, greenhouse mal-practice, threatening potting material fungal infections and the ever present bacterial and viral threats to an already ageing body. Against this is the great benefit that overcomes all the negative and gives the pleasure of orchid growing a very special value. So let's have some more opinions, experiences, advice and suggestions regarding our interest in growing orchids and the possible danger that this can potentially contain.