Any movie recos? I’m isolating.

Post Reply New Topic

No; minimally. I've spent the day slowly doing all the things I need to do to be able to drive myself to a hospital and am leaving shortly. I think I need antibiotics for this.

hope it isn't strep. best nip it in the bud if at all possible. at least you have universal health care up there, one major less thing to worry about.

Possibly is strep, which I've had several times before but not for years.

Hospital/doctors visit won't cost a cent. I'll have to pay for a prescription, though. NBD well worth whatever the out of pocket expense is. I'm guessing somewhere between $40-60 Guesstimate. I'll be a bit surprised if it's cheaper Or significantly more expensive. But even if it's twice the price I'd rather pay it than have this prolonged and be contagious for 2-3 weeks longer as well as potentially have complications. Also, it's simply not healthy to pop as many ibuprofens as I have had to the last few days, too... so, ya, antibiotic me so I can get on the mend asap. (I'm assuming this is bacterial - certainly has all the signs and symptoms.)

Go see the doctors, let them earn their fees. Recover well and soon.

Sorry it’s that bad.
I would have dosed you with golden seal and ginseng and made you gargle with warm water and salt.
Then you take a large swig of whiskey and hold it in your throat as long as possible.Then swallow it.Moonshine is better for this but I doubt you have the real thing.
Hot tea, lots of honey and lemon.
Continue with golden seal,and hot toddies.Cayenne pepper and garlic in capsule form.
You have to treat this stuff fast, as soon as you think you are coming down sick.

I haven’t been to a doctor for an infection in years.

Just parked at a hospital. Doesn’t seem to be tons of cars here. It’s a smaller hospital in a neighbouring city and many people don’t realize it’s an option to go to so lines usually aren’t insane like they are at the one large hospital in my home city.

Like, if you go to the main one in the middle of the night you’ll wait 4-8+ hours to be seen because so many people go for BS things that don’t require immediate attention. But at this one I’ve come in the middle of the night and been seen in under an hour even when they only have one doc on shift.

Pays to have local knowledge like this vs just assume that the one big hospital that’s closest is the ideal one to go to.

Good luck and feel better soon.

All things I would do if I didn’t have the option of a scrip/couldn’t afford it.

The biggest benefit to some penicillin or w/e is that I’ll be no longer contagious way quicker so I can go do some work, go to the beach, and more importantly, not get my dad sick as it might just kill him.

I have been using oregano oil, though. Haven’t been gargling with salt water but might add that to the mix when I get home later as it may also speed things up.

I’ve managed water, Gatorade, and a few smoothies with ice over the last few days - and it’s been a challenge just to swallow water at times as the right side of my throat is so swollen and blocked I can only swallow down the left side. I never use ice in drinks but I’ve realized ice cold is the only way to comfortably swallow.

Haven’t drank alcohol since having one beer on Saturday or Sunday. Haven’t smoked anything, either. Just been feeling blah and sweating buckets.

Another pro at this hospital: free parking.

Con: Couple hour wait. I can’t keep a mask on because I need to be able to clear my throat and sinuses every few mins by spitting into an empty Gatorade bottle as I’ve been doing for the last 3 days and nights. I asked if I go outside or to my car if they could phone or text me when my name is called because I don’t want to expose other people and potentially make them sick. Answer from some snarky b***h: “No! That’s not how it works. If your name is called and you’re not here then you miss your spot.” Me: How helpful. (They have my number on file ffs) Her: “Well, it is!”

Stupid. How do these people even work in healthcare if they don’t care about peoples’ health? It’s a small waiting room that’s nearly full. I could potentially make everyone there sick. Just dumb.

Wow.We can wait outside at our clinic.
That’s such a reasonable request.

Ice cold drinks and hot drinks are best for the throat.
Also I swear by Ricola cough drops.

Another patient came outside within 5 mins and said I was being called. Turns out it was to Triage to have my vitals taken etc. She looked at my throat with a flashlight and her facial expression was “Holy s**t.” I haven’t even bothered looking, but I know I have literally like world record sized tonsils because they were infected so many times in my life.

Anyways, she understood and was reasonable and allowed me to take a seat down the hall and just come check in every 10 mins. On my first checkin I asked if I could just move a chair close-ish so I can hear names being called - yep, no problem.

Way better. Much more courteous to others given that we’re still masking in hospitals due to Covid etc.

Just saw this. So sorry you are sick. I used to get terrible infections like that, when you can’t even swallow.

I hope your treatment is effective and you’re feeling better soon.

I just saw this too. Hope you're closer to being seen. I only had Strep once, back in 2011, but it was a superbug variant and lasted six weeks at full-force with a few rounds of different antibiotics doing nothing. It was so bad I had a doctor come to the house bc I couldn't sit up, and when I went to hospital a few days later I had to wrap multiple scarves around my neck to keep it warm because I was in so much pain even externally. I hope yours isn't like that and it's not meds-resistant. Also hoping your meds won't cost much and you'll be on the mend quickly so you can see your dad soon.

Hang tight.

Got seen just after midnight. Rapid assessments & tests. Several blood tests, throat swab, ekg, they wanna do an X-ray of something not sure head or chest, and they want a urine sample to check kidneys. Currently hooked up to a couple IV’s for 2 different antibiotics, a steroid to reduce swelling, and fluids for hydration as I haven’t been drinking enough.

If I can eat/drink fine tonight they’ll let me go home and return in the morning for IV antibiotics. Otherwise I stay. Then I’ll have to go to the big hospital in my home city for more IV antibiotics daily. I’m guessing for a week like my twin brother had to do for the same thing many years ago.

If I go home and symptoms worsen I’m to come right back. Funny; I felt better today than yesterday with less swelling and that’s why I felt up to driving myself to a hospital.

The IV guy was very efficient.. made me wonder if he’s backlogged OR if they told him “Quick quick, this guy is f****d.”

Edit: X-ray was for chest (lungs) due to some shallow breathing. Back on IV fluids now.

Pretty sure they don’t bill for antibiotics administered at a hospital just like they don’t bill for pain/other meds, so, I’m anticipating my total bill for all tests and a week or however long’s meds to be $0.

Edit: They just sent me for throat X-rays, too. And another ekg - which apparently was good/in normal range.

Ibuprofen o took earlier is wearing off.. gonna ask if I can take more or if they wanna give me something different. Not sure what they’ll say considering I’ve taken mass amounts of it the last couple days.

Edit: Took some more ibuprofen when I did the urine sample. Just waiting for someone to take out on IV and wrap up the other for overnight then I can go home.

Doc says she wants to refer me to an ENT specialist. Makes me think they want an expert opinion on whether I should have my tonsils removed because once in a while when they get infected it can be very severe. That’s my best guess as to why they’d want to refer me to an ENT. I can’t imagine it’s just for s**ts & giggles or some sort of professional show & tell like “Hey, look at this! Biggest tonsils EVER!”

Looking forward to going home and getting a few hours sleep soon.. well, about 4-5, which wouldn’t be so bad if I can actually sleep tonight.

That sounds like the strep infection from hell.
I always got them yearly when a child.
Never that bad.