So I'm hoping to go see a doctor today, to get my throat looked at and get some idea of what can be done to alleviate the symptoms.
...just have to keep reminding myself, this is the first cold I've had in seven years. I've been sick other ways since 2007 but mostly the illnesses have been of the "gut malf" variety, or else I've had flareups of common sinusitis which doesn't involve the tonsils and adenoids at all.
Not this death tonsilitis, damn it. WTF.
Still: the swelling and pain in my tonsils is the reaction of a fully armed and operational immune system. The hell of it is, but for the pain in my throat, I don't actually feel all that bad; and if it weren't for that one symptom I would be a lot less miserable.
*sigh*
Still no sign of special Christmas content for the Fungus this year. Life has been...well...life, and because the last two days have been consumed by "ugh, I've got to swallow...OUCH" I haven't been in much of a Christmas mood.
Despite that--and despite getting less than two hours' worth of sleep Monday morning--I was able to accomplish about 90% of my errands Monday afternoon and evening, finally getting home a little after sunset. I have one more brief shopping expedition to attend to, and then we're on to the holiday. Whee!
If I go see the doc, I'll do that right after.
Things that have reduced the pain, however briefly:
Hot cocoaMrs. Fungus has been trying to take care of me, though I'm both sick and cranky enough that about 90% of her efforts have consisted solely of letting me sleep. Last night sometime she fed me the first three things on the list, and then I had a few minutes of relatively pain-free swallowing.
Chicken soup
ice cream
Junior Mints
Chloroseptic
To my surprise, I just had handful of Junior Mints, and they too have temporarily relieved my suffering.
Menthol cough drops do not seem to effect any positive change, and I'm starting to suspect they make things worse rather than better. Mrs. Fungus advised me to buy "Fisherman's Friend", a particularly potent cough drop. I bought them--reluctantly--because she's usually right about that kind of thing.
They taste like ass. They look like hardened ear wax and taste horrible. Menthol is the active ingredient, but they also contain capiscum (the stuff that makes peppers hot) and some other inacitive components. "That's the worst thing I ever tasted!" Not quite, but close. WTF.
Anyway, I alternated between them and regular menthol cough drops, and so far the results have been...mixed. At work yesterday I had a choice between "hurts!" and "hurts slightly less, and welcome to flavor country!"
...and now the NyQuil has taken effect. I'm starting to feel loopy, so I'm going back to bed.
