No I didn't die...
...but I came pretty fucking close. About a week and a half ago my throat started feeling sore. Nothing too bad, just a little ache. No coughs or anything. Then the next day I wake up with intense pain in my neck, and everytime I try to swallow I nearly pass out it's so intense. So I double my Vitamin C intake and go about my daily routine. Things just keep getting progressively worse though. Suddenly my voice is getting affected by the swelling in my throat. By the third day of this ordeal I can barely function. I went out and got some herbal tea to sooth my throat, and some of those numbing throat lozenges. They help a little bit, but overall I can barely eat or even do anything. And by this point I'm having trouble sleeping, and keep waking up in the middle of the night choking because nothing is able to drain past the racquetball sized lump in the back of my mouth. Oh and did I mention that my voice is so slurred at this time that no one can even understand what I'm trying to mumble to them?
So on day 4 I break down and go to the school's wellness center. I was very impressed with the service to tell you the truth. I'd never been in there before, but it was just like a standard doctor's office. Luckily at the time I went in, there was a doctor on duty from the nearest hospital. After seeing a nurse briefly, the doctor asked me a few symptom questions then looked in my mouth. It was almost comical the look on his face as he saw the bulge behind my left tonsil. "Wow, that's the problem all right!" So he explained there was the possibility it could be an absciss (sp?) but he would put me on so antibiotics and chances are the swelling would go down and the problem would disappear. Although it was important to come back or go to another doctor immediately if there was no change within a week. So before I left they gave me a shot, and then a 10 prescription of Amoxicillin, and there was no fee.
Anyway, I've been taking the pills for 8 days now and the throat is almost back to normal. My voice is no longer slurred, the swelling is down to grape sized, and there is no pain when I swallow anymore. I can still see a few white spots on my throat though, so I'm not completely over it yet.
So on day 4 I break down and go to the school's wellness center. I was very impressed with the service to tell you the truth. I'd never been in there before, but it was just like a standard doctor's office. Luckily at the time I went in, there was a doctor on duty from the nearest hospital. After seeing a nurse briefly, the doctor asked me a few symptom questions then looked in my mouth. It was almost comical the look on his face as he saw the bulge behind my left tonsil. "Wow, that's the problem all right!" So he explained there was the possibility it could be an absciss (sp?) but he would put me on so antibiotics and chances are the swelling would go down and the problem would disappear. Although it was important to come back or go to another doctor immediately if there was no change within a week. So before I left they gave me a shot, and then a 10 prescription of Amoxicillin, and there was no fee.
Anyway, I've been taking the pills for 8 days now and the throat is almost back to normal. My voice is no longer slurred, the swelling is down to grape sized, and there is no pain when I swallow anymore. I can still see a few white spots on my throat though, so I'm not completely over it yet.