This post has nothing to do with my medical school woes, so you don't have to jump in with helpful comments like, "What did you decide?!" or "Are you studying again yet?!" My therapist (Yep, I done went and found one of those) says I need to resist the sense of urgency being placed upon me. So, yeah. I'm not listening, per her mandate.
Anyway, for about three weeks now (coincidentally, the same amount of time I've been out of the hospital), I've had an ongoing sore throat. It goes: Ow! I hate sore throats! --> Consume massive amts. of tea/orange juice/Vitamin C/Zinc --> Get Better x2 days --> Boom! Sore throat is back --> Repeat.
So, I've basically been sick this entire time.
I finally went to the quacks over at Student Health today and after proclaiming me strep-free via a rapid test, the doctor sent me home with nothing. He swabbed for a throat culture, which will be ready next week, and told me to rest. I stared at him and very politely explained again how this has been going on for three weeks and how I have visible tonsilar exudates and a low grade fever and pain so bad that I can't talk or eat.
He very helpfully suggested Tylenol for the pain and then mumbled something about mono.
(He did not do a mono spot. Nor did he do a physical exam. Damn the spleen for being an organ I can't palpate myself!)
Now, I know all of these medical people are going to jump in to proclaim me a perpetuator of antibiotic resistance for wanting him to prescribe me something to move this thing along, but you know what? Three weeks is a freakishly long time to be walking around with a sore throat and feeling like junk.
Also, there are a hell of a lot of things besides Group A strep that cause pharyngitis and not all of them are viral. In fact, with my long history of sinusitis, I don't doubt that this probably did start out as viral, but on and on and on and on and it's probably a combination of many things right now. So, I only hope that one of the people who is about to chastise me for complaining about not getting antibiotics is a hospitalist, because let me tell you, if someone should be blamed for antibiotic resistance, how about we take a long, hard stare at the people who are "empirically" pumping Vancomycin and Zosyn into every person getting admitted from the ER?
I'm just saying. (That was the rage against the system, not you. Probably.)
Could a girl get some penicillin around here, because I'm officially NPO per raging throat pain and feeling like garbage.
15 comments:
I have a friend with a weird heartbrun thingy that manifests in laryngitis and sore throat. There's a name for it, I just don't remember. : ) Maybe it isn't a bug at all?
Larissa- Probably GERD? Thanks...that's not it, but believe me, I'd happily accept that diagnosis as opposed to AWFUL FEELING AWFULNESS. (I swear I'm not usually this ornery...I'm just so frustrated. I should have just driven straight to my PCP, who would have at least examined me. My own fault...now I must suffer until Monday.)
I can't help with the antibiotics, but I suggest a Wendy's Frosty (assuming Wendy's exists in DC) as sustenance. I lived on them whenever I had recurrent strep throat.
Cimorne- Nice! I didn't think of that. I've done Robek's smoothies about 3xs during the past 3 weeks, but I'm willing to switch things up. (Really anything to make this stop.)
Feel better soon, I'm thinking of you!
Glad to know you are taking care of yourself. I hope you feel better soon.
Bah humbug to sore throats. I went through a stretch once where I had strep once a month for six consecutive months, and I nearly lost it at the ENT surgeon who suggested that it wasn't frequent enough to warrant taking out my tonsils. The only thing that worked for me long-term was taking daily high-dose vitamin C. (But don't take advice from me, because I only play a doctor on the internet and clearly CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE for any medical-sounding suggestions that I make on people's blogs.)
Anyway....hope you feel better soon.
Oh, this sounds so familiar. (Except for me, it is always the twice or thrice annual sinus infection that really won't go away on its own, Neti pot or no. As if going to the doctor to get antibiotics is something I really would choose to do recreationally?)
Hoping you feel better soon!
Feel better! Being sick sucks. Hopefully the lawyer has been able to pamper you sufficiently.
Zazzy &Ephemeral - Thank you!
SD- Whaaa? Do not scare me, woman! That sounds positively awful. I did go through a bout of multiple strep infections a few years ago when I lived with an elementary school teacher and it was misery. This didn't feel like strep (if that makes sense, without sounding weird), but I'm not ruling out bacterial infxn of another kind!
Attorney At Large- Exactly! Dumb student health kept giving me these scenarios about how I could come back next week for Abx and next week, we could think about the mono spot, etc. I was really annoyed b/c obviously I'm off rotations now, but what if I wasn't? Coming back 3x in one week would be completely unfeasible and unreasonable! I should have just gone to my PCP...he usually gives me a standing order for Abx because of my recurrent sinusitis and tells me that I know myself well enough to know when to fill it. (And no, I don't abuse the Abx, because I know some fool is going to jump in and suggest that.)
OMDG- The Lawyer is out of state litigating a case until next week. It's bad enough that my mother is flying up today, which could be the best or worst idea ever, but I'm pretty miserable and need help :(
All I know is that strep just started appearing on the scene at my work--that stuff is awful! (I'd never had strep in my life until I started working at an elementary school. Felt like death and I'm no wimp.) Hang in there and I hope you are on your way to feeling better.
I prescribe the Wendy's Frosty method mentioned earlier for soothing a sore throat. I know it would make me feel better on the inside even if the throat didn't respond. Have a nice visit with your mom, but don't talk too much.
Kate P- You are so right! I remember strep as a kid as being no big deal. As an adult, it was one of the worst pains I've ever felt! (And yes, related to small children when my roommate was an elementary school teacher.)
FADW- Thanks! Yeah, I've been lounging and sleeping...not talking too much!
I had similar symptopms sometime back. An excruciating sore throat that comes goes away and comes back in 3 or 4 days again. To the point of losing my voice. A throat swab said it was MRSA. freaked me out but as my doc said it would it went away cured after a hefty dose of meds for a few weeks.but then you'd know what to do right :) take care and i hope you will feel better.
Delilah- I actually thought of many hospital-borne causes just like MRSA! It wouldn't be shocking if that's what it was...I'd say 50% of my pts. were on MRSA precautions. :/ Still, no culture results yet to confirm. Hopefully, they come back soon!
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