The Tonsil Tales

It started Thursday of last week.  My older girls' class was going on a picnic on Thursday and since we had just told the teachers we were leaving for Peru the teacher invited me to join.  I was super excited and doing my photographer job but then right before lunch I started feeling pretty crappy.  I thought it was the heat -- that was probably the hottest day of the year so far and spending it outside in a park was of course not helping.  Jose offered to come and get me but I felt that I had to stay with the kids' class.  By the end of that day I was exhausted but thought it was just the class trip - who wouldn't be after spending a whole day with 20 kids in the park?! By Friday I could barely move.  I actually went with the kids after school to the beach but was just lying there in the beach towel.  When we got home I officially declared "that's it, I can't get up from this couch".  Jose thought I should go to the ER on Friday night but I didn't want to deal with the logistical issues of having the kids in the house so I just had Jose drop me off Saturday morning while they went to another beach.  The doctor said it was probably some type of flu (which I thought was weird because I had the flu shot this year and because it's summer) so they dispatched me with some ibuprofen, pain meds for the body aches and a throat spray.  They said if you don't feel better in a few days come back.  Sunday I did in fact feel better, Monday I even went back to the gym although I took it as easy as possible.  But then Tuesday morning I woke up with the worst throat ache I have ever had in my life.  So back to the clinic on Tuesday morning.  I said that overall I was feeling much better (no more fever, body aches, chills, etc.) but that I just had this nightmarish throat ache.  So they did the strep throat test and that came back negative.  So they said just keep taking the same stuff we gave you on Saturday.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I could barely eat, I could barely speak (which is horrible for me!) and every time I tried to swallow literally tears came streaming down from the pain.  The best part of the day was at night because I would just try to STOP MYSELF from swallowing all night long so that it wouldn't hurt.  The problem is I would wake up every morning with the effects from the pain meds having worn off so I could barely rouse up the courage to eat enough yogurt and swallow some more pain pills.  By then the pain had fully settled on the left side of my throat and everything was starting to hurt down that side of my throat - glands, you name it.  By Friday morning we said it's time to go back to the ER.  With tears in my eyes from the pain I saw the triad nurse and then the ER doctor who referred me to an ENT.  She finally had the sense to say "no one has prescribed any antibiotics yet"?  I knew I needed antibiotics when I got the negative strep throat test but folks here in Geneva are just not very forthcoming with their antibiotics. Here my mother in law is entirely right to say that thank goodness I'm moving to antibiotic heaven! The ENT confirmed the ER doctor's suspicions which were that I had developed an abscess in my left tonsil.  That's usually what happens to people who end up getting their tonsils removed but I had never had anything other than a regular sore throat and the pain was so intense I couldn't take it anymore!  Thankfully he started me on antibiotics right away even though he said "we might be too late and if we are we might need to remove the tonsil".  Again crying I was like "I came to the ER three times and no one would give me the DRUGS!!!!!".  Thankfully I started feeling better as early as the next day.  Saturday was still an all-liquid diet for me but by Sunday I was able to have more solids.  Even though now I have to be really careful because my stomach is upset for the last two days!  So many days of a liquid diet make it hard to come back to eating a lot of solid food!  I am still craving a chocolate milkshake and hope to get one soon.  And for now the tonsil is still there since the doctor saw me today and said everything looks good.  But if I get this pain ever again I'm definitely not waiting to take antibiotics!  Tomorrow I'm having an X-Ray of my sinuses, doctor was curious to see if this is all somehow related to my life-long sinus issues.  Whatever he says I guess we will have to deal with it in Peru because we are FULL ON relocation mode.  Going to vets, going to doctors, giving away toys, you name it.  I personally HATE this process but I know I will enjoy things a lot more when we are settled in our new home.  In the meantime here's a picture of me and Gabi yesterday, we went out for my first meal since the dreadful straw feedings of soup and yogurt! I was so happy even though I couldn't have pizza or pasta like the rest of the family did.