For the first time in a year and a half, and only the second time in like 20 years, I went to the doctor. Seriously, I'm a moron for not going sooner. I've dropped five pounds or so and swallowing even water was so painful that I wanted to cry.
The doctor said that it was some variant of sinusitis, and he said it was probably the pressure changes of the airplane ride that really aggravated it into something worse. They did a test for strep, and the quick test came back negative, but he really wants to see what the overnight culture returns too. The quick ones only have a 1% false negative rate, but he thinks what I've got is awfully aggressive.
The first prescription didn't surprise me at all, azithromycin. Three big old horse pills of an antibiotic that work for ten days. He says to expect a turn around in 36 hours or less. The fact that I've not really had any antibiotics in 20 years works in my favor too, because I'm not harboring resistant strains of things.
For the pain, he gave me Vicodin. I was honestly a little scared when he said that because, well, it's half narcotic. Pain drugs that alter some physical state are one thing, but things that alter the chemistry of your nervous system freak me out a little. Regardless, every swallow was hurting so bad that I figured I'd give it a shot, because I had to.
Wow, that stuff fucks you up. No shit about the don't operate machinery or drive. If I wasn't so blissful being pain free, I'd likely be concerned. Diana jokingly said I appeared slightly stoned.
Already after the first dose of the antibiotic, I can feel it doing its thing. I'm a little miserable for different reasons now (constant draining, major dehydration), but at least it feels like a means to an end. I can kind of feel the fever coming back a little, so if I can space it out 12 hours I'll probably take another Vicodin around 10. It also has 500mg of acetaminophen, so it really covers all the bases in terms of pain.
So what have I learned? Don't be a douche. If you feel shitty, see a doctor. Cleveland Clinic rules, and I'm lucky to have it so close.
Huge +1 to Diana for taking care of me and countering some of my poor judgment. I know I've been pathetic this week, but it really helps to have someone looking after you.
OK... head is pounding... I think work e-mail has to wait some more. If I could just get four or five continuous hours of sleep it would help so much.
Well, if using a clean finger you can reach back and feel actual bumps on the back of your tongue then you have strep. Last time I had strep and the flu and wanted to die, within 2 days on the Z-Pack I was back to 100%! Good luck....
Azithromycin. Great stuff. I always forget if it's only the first dose that's two pills or the first two.
As for the Clinic, I hear it's great, until you have to deal with the nurses daily. Friends of mine underwent a kidney transplant there, and the recipient has so many horror stories dealing with the nurses. Aside from braindead nurses, they said it was excellent.