Lunchbox became seriously ill with strep throat, though the most noticeable symptom was severe swelling in his face and eyes rather than his throat. Photos he posted showed significant facial swelling, which led others to question whether it was actually strep. Comparisons were made to the facial swelling seen in the movie Hitch during an allergic reaction scene.
Lunchbox played audio from while he was sick, revealing how difficult it was for him to speak. He explained that the recording was from Saturday morning and he was in constant pain, struggling to sleep and waking frequently because he was uncomfortable and having trouble breathing. Lunchbox said the illness happened at the worst possible time. On the same day he was sick, Survivor announced a promotion for its 50th season that involved hiding immunity idols in all 50 states. Anyone who found an idol would win a trip to Los Angeles for the live reunion show and have the opportunity to meet Jeff Probst. The one for Tennessee was hidden just 1.1 miles from the studio in Nashville, in a park he had visited many times and knew extremely well. He said that if he had not been sick, he would have been searching for the idol that day. Instead, he was unable to leave his house or even speak clearly.
He admitted that he had signed up for email updates and had been counting down the days leading up to the idol reveal. He believed that if he had found the idol, attending the reunion could have led to being considered for a future season of the show. He described missing the opportunity as another example of bad luck and said the situation was devastating. Others acknowledged the situation was unfortunate and agreed that his illness kept him from participating. It was confirmed that by the time he recovered, the idol had already been found.