WTF is with this sore throat
So on Sunday I woke up with a bit of a sore throat, but it didn't make me think twice.
When I woke up on Monday it was so bad that I decided I needed to see a doctor. (For anyone who doesn't know me, this is a big deal--I am American and grew up poor so I have a strict aversion to doctors.) They took a swab of my throat and said they'd call me if it was bacterial and needed prescription medication. Otherwise I should assume it's a virus and treat it like a cold (nothin' I can do). He did say I could take Advil for the swelling.
Monday night I got chills, achy joints, nausea, fatigue, headache... I had a hard time going to sleep because I was shivering so badly. I woke up several times in the night from being too cold.
Tuesday morning was awful. I had a hard time swallowing and eating. I took medicine right away and when it kicked in I felt better and went about my day. It started to get bad again around 5pm, with the chills and other symptoms returning. But as long as I took pain killers (2 advil, 2 tylenol) every 4 hours, the throat was manageable.
Tuesday night I woke up at 3am with intense throat pain (and weird nightmares from the pain). I slept on and off until 5am when I got out of bed to take medicine. I took meds and watched tv (to put some new thoughts into my head so I wouldn't have the same nightmare again). I curled up on the couch with my blanket for about an hour until the medicine kicked in enough so I could fall asleep. This night was probably the worst throat pain I have experienced since I had my tonsils out.
Today I stayed home from work to get more rest. The chills and other symptoms have not returned, but if I go longer than 4 hours between medicine the pain reminds me.
If it gets any worse than this, I will return to the doctor and let him prescribe that numbing gargle or whatever it was he offered the first time that I thought I didn't need.
I really hope this goes away soon, gr. I also hope it's not very contagious and that my loved ones don't get it.
When I woke up on Monday it was so bad that I decided I needed to see a doctor. (For anyone who doesn't know me, this is a big deal--I am American and grew up poor so I have a strict aversion to doctors.) They took a swab of my throat and said they'd call me if it was bacterial and needed prescription medication. Otherwise I should assume it's a virus and treat it like a cold (nothin' I can do). He did say I could take Advil for the swelling.
Monday night I got chills, achy joints, nausea, fatigue, headache... I had a hard time going to sleep because I was shivering so badly. I woke up several times in the night from being too cold.
Tuesday morning was awful. I had a hard time swallowing and eating. I took medicine right away and when it kicked in I felt better and went about my day. It started to get bad again around 5pm, with the chills and other symptoms returning. But as long as I took pain killers (2 advil, 2 tylenol) every 4 hours, the throat was manageable.
Tuesday night I woke up at 3am with intense throat pain (and weird nightmares from the pain). I slept on and off until 5am when I got out of bed to take medicine. I took meds and watched tv (to put some new thoughts into my head so I wouldn't have the same nightmare again). I curled up on the couch with my blanket for about an hour until the medicine kicked in enough so I could fall asleep. This night was probably the worst throat pain I have experienced since I had my tonsils out.
Today I stayed home from work to get more rest. The chills and other symptoms have not returned, but if I go longer than 4 hours between medicine the pain reminds me.
If it gets any worse than this, I will return to the doctor and let him prescribe that numbing gargle or whatever it was he offered the first time that I thought I didn't need.
I really hope this goes away soon, gr. I also hope it's not very contagious and that my loved ones don't get it.