Bah, Humbug!

A more miserable Christmas I've never had. It all started the Thursday before Christmas, the 22nd, when my throat started feeling a little scratchy. Friday, it was a lot scratchy, and I was congested. By Saturday, I was running a low-grade fever and could barely speak due to my swollen throat. Saturday we had Christmas with Nate's family. I barely remember it, except I couldn't eat anything, and we all watched Madagascar. It was pretty funny. I think.

Sunday we got up and had our little Christmas and went to church. We were supposed to go up north for Christmas with his mom's side, but when I took my temp and it was 102.7, Nate made an executive decision not to go. I felt so badly that I started crying, which clogged my sinuses even more. By this time I was taking at least 2 showers per day (hot showers seem to make me feel a little better.) I even called my boss (a pharmacist) on CHRISTMAS DAY and asked her what to take. She was so nice and gave me her best advice.

Well, that night, I checked my throat again, and I found . . . (drum roll) . . . white spots. In case you don't know, white spots on a red, swollen throat indicate strep throat. I've had strep many, many times, so any time I have a sore throat, I check often. Well, there they were, the white spots, speckling my tonsils on Christmas Day. The nerve!

So Monday morning I lay there on the couch, feeling like death, waiting for Nate to come home from practice and take me to the doctor. Meanwhile, my temp got up to 103, and I really think I was delirious at one point. I got up twice--first to get my doctor's phone number, and then to shower. I blacked out both times, momentarily.

So then we went to St. Joe's Hospital to the urgent care center. Registration and wait time were incredibly fast. The doctor came in and immediately handed me a glass of water. He said my heart rate was 125 (normal is between 75-85) and I was extremely dehydrated. So I started guzzling the water and answering questions, and I eventually walked out with a nice prescription for amoxicillin, my new best friend.

Well, usually I feel 90% better after 24 hours of the antibiotics. But I must've had it really bad this time, because I was on them 4 full days before I felt like myself again. Nate has been such a great nurse, feeding me medicine and lots of hot soup. Too bad Christmas isn't THIS weekend--I feel up to it now!