« Starting 2008 Out...So-So | Main | Placebo Effect? »
January 2, 2008
Drinking Shards of Glass
As someone who works in a major urban teaching hospital with a level I trauma center (and I actually work in the trauma ICU) I get to see a lot of strange things. One of which is the occasional patient who tries to commit suicide by drinking Draino or battery acid or something of the sort (trust me - NOT the way to go). I usually end up seeing these patients quite a bit because I'm a dietitian who specializes in nutrition support for those that can't eat. Because, while these people don't succeed in killing themselves, they do manage to basically disintegrate their intesintal tract.
You might wonder where I'm going with this. Just hold on.
I usually wonder (but have never asked one of them) what it feels like when the Draino is going down. Does it burn? Does it ache? Does it feel like nothing at all?
I was thinking again what it might feel like last night as I laid awake with THE sorest throat known to man. I was thinking "this is what it must feel like to drink Draino!". Oh my...not a pleasant feeling at all. And in a very, very rare turn of events, I couldn't even sleep last night! I'm the kind of person that can sleep through ANYTHING (including if the house was burning down around me). But last night I think I looked at the clock every 10 minutes. Actually, I would fall asleep only to wake up again every time I swallowed and felt the Draino singe. I spent the better part of the night trying not to swallow at all (very, very difficult - go ahead and try!), but to no avail.
I'm really trying not to be a baby about a simple sore throat but geez - it feels like I'm drinking shards of glass here people!! I have not one other symptom to go with it though. No fever, no chills, no cough, no congestion, no headache.
So I actually went to the doctor today. And yes, I felt like a tool going to the doctor for a sore throat but I started to wonder if it was possible that I might have strep? (despite being 28 years old and not having any fever I thought it was still a possibility :).
So of course the doctor takes a look and confirms that no, I probably don't have strep but my glands are actually quite swollen and so she took a culture and gave me a script for antibiotics anyway. A waste of her and my time maybe but she made it all worthwhile by telling me to take 3-4 Advils every 6 hours to help with the throat soreness. Why didn't I think of that? I guess I just don't associate taking Advil with sore throats. I only think Advil when my head hurts or my shin is throbbing.
Regardless, I came home, took the Advil and then fell asleep for another 2 hours. And my throat is definitely doing better. It's still sore...don't get me wrong. But it feels less like I've been consuming an errosive substance... :)
Posted by beth at January 2, 2008 5:31 PM
Comments
mono?
that's what i felt like when i had mono in HS. my throat was in so much pain i could never imagine ever being better again. i begged my mom to take me to the doctor! (she is a doc and we got strep so much she had her own home strep test kit. so when that was negative she was pretty sure i didn't have anything serious!) she was as shocked as me to hear the diagnosis. it never crossed our minds!
anyway, you probably don't have mono :) but i AM SO SORRY your throat hurts so much.
:(
Posted by: Audrey at January 2, 2008 7:48 PM
Chloraseptic spray and throat lozenges with zinc really help. Run the humidifier at night and drink lots of tea. I just got through a pretty bad upper respiratory infection with a major soar throat nagging me for weeks. Nyquil really helps knock you out at night too - just make sure you give yourself 8 or 9 hours of sleep or else you'll feel groggy the next day.
I also had mono in high school and it really sucks. My doctor gave us Vitamin B12 shots and Vitamin C IVs weekly (Emily had it too). We later found out that he wasn't board certified, but it seemed to do the trick!
Posted by: Amy at January 3, 2008 10:49 AM