D Rusak
Jedi Council Member
So,
I went to the clinic last week because I found my tonsils to be really inflamed and discharging mucus. Other symptoms I had were a couple of days of fever at night (I would wake up once or twice each night and find my clothes soaked in sweat) and swollen lymph nodes, just very slight sore throat, and some general, though not extreme fatigue.
When the doctor asked, what seems to be the matter today, I said, I think I have strep throat. She felt my lymph nodes and looked in my throat, and said, yep, and it's severe, and prescribed a course of antibiotics (penicillin 500mg twice a day), ibuprofen (400mg twice a day), gargling with salt water, and rest. This was even though the quick strep test came back negative (she did not take the strep test which requires a day or two to find the result). One thing which I found odd was that I had gained 9 lbs in 3 weeks. I tend not to go up and down in weight all that much, and last time I had my weight taken was on the first day of menstruation, when I usually weigh the most. I have been eating less than usual, my appetite has been less. The doctor did not think this was strange.
I have been on antibiotics for more than 4 days now and each day I have felt worse. Both sides of my tonsils are severely swollen (the uvula touches one side of the tonsils- sort of looks like this *gross alert* _http://de.academic.ru/pictures/dewiki/116/tonsillitis.jpg) as well as my lymph nodes. Actually, some of my lymph nodes (one on the nape of my neck, the ones where my jaw connects near my ears, ones near my groin) are so swollen I can actually see them, not just feel them. I guess it's sort of interesting since I really didn't know where many of them are, at least I only knew this intellectually. I don't have a fever any more, and am not extremely tired, but it is really difficult to play my instrument (I play brass instruments) which is what I do for a living. I basically haven't touched the horn in two weeks- did one gig, and the next day everything was so swollen I canceled the rest of my performances for the weekend.
I am thinking that the doctor misdiagnosed me, and that perhaps my tonsilitis is caused by a viral cause, and not a bacterial one (which is what the antibiotics are supposed to treat). I do not have health insurance (can't afford it, thanks U$A) so before I either plop down a bunch of cash (I do have a friend or two who offered to try to talk their doctor into seeing me for free/very little) or find another clinic, does anyone have any advice on questions I should ask or other treatments I should try? This is all getting rather annoying to me and a terrible time for this- I am moving out of my apartment this week (I've hardly gotten anything done with this, I've been trying to rest), I can't do my job (play my instrument), and I am really getting tired of the few things I figured I can eat (ultrabroth, organic chicken broth, soup, mashed potatoes with garlic and ghee, water, herbal tea, coconut juice, and I admit I found some "ice cream"- it is not too bad, it uses coconut milk although it is sweetened with agave syrup. The agave is the worst thing but I was going crazy for something cold and with a little more substance. I can swallow okay still so have still been taking supplements.) Everything is closed here since it is Sunday, I will try to go somewhere tomorrow.
I went to the clinic last week because I found my tonsils to be really inflamed and discharging mucus. Other symptoms I had were a couple of days of fever at night (I would wake up once or twice each night and find my clothes soaked in sweat) and swollen lymph nodes, just very slight sore throat, and some general, though not extreme fatigue.
When the doctor asked, what seems to be the matter today, I said, I think I have strep throat. She felt my lymph nodes and looked in my throat, and said, yep, and it's severe, and prescribed a course of antibiotics (penicillin 500mg twice a day), ibuprofen (400mg twice a day), gargling with salt water, and rest. This was even though the quick strep test came back negative (she did not take the strep test which requires a day or two to find the result). One thing which I found odd was that I had gained 9 lbs in 3 weeks. I tend not to go up and down in weight all that much, and last time I had my weight taken was on the first day of menstruation, when I usually weigh the most. I have been eating less than usual, my appetite has been less. The doctor did not think this was strange.
I have been on antibiotics for more than 4 days now and each day I have felt worse. Both sides of my tonsils are severely swollen (the uvula touches one side of the tonsils- sort of looks like this *gross alert* _http://de.academic.ru/pictures/dewiki/116/tonsillitis.jpg) as well as my lymph nodes. Actually, some of my lymph nodes (one on the nape of my neck, the ones where my jaw connects near my ears, ones near my groin) are so swollen I can actually see them, not just feel them. I guess it's sort of interesting since I really didn't know where many of them are, at least I only knew this intellectually. I don't have a fever any more, and am not extremely tired, but it is really difficult to play my instrument (I play brass instruments) which is what I do for a living. I basically haven't touched the horn in two weeks- did one gig, and the next day everything was so swollen I canceled the rest of my performances for the weekend.
I am thinking that the doctor misdiagnosed me, and that perhaps my tonsilitis is caused by a viral cause, and not a bacterial one (which is what the antibiotics are supposed to treat). I do not have health insurance (can't afford it, thanks U$A) so before I either plop down a bunch of cash (I do have a friend or two who offered to try to talk their doctor into seeing me for free/very little) or find another clinic, does anyone have any advice on questions I should ask or other treatments I should try? This is all getting rather annoying to me and a terrible time for this- I am moving out of my apartment this week (I've hardly gotten anything done with this, I've been trying to rest), I can't do my job (play my instrument), and I am really getting tired of the few things I figured I can eat (ultrabroth, organic chicken broth, soup, mashed potatoes with garlic and ghee, water, herbal tea, coconut juice, and I admit I found some "ice cream"- it is not too bad, it uses coconut milk although it is sweetened with agave syrup. The agave is the worst thing but I was going crazy for something cold and with a little more substance. I can swallow okay still so have still been taking supplements.) Everything is closed here since it is Sunday, I will try to go somewhere tomorrow.
