I think I have tonsilitis and I am fed up

[PavlovtheCat]

I have been unwell for the last week, nothing too serious, just achey and sore throat, I took the week off work as this week coming is more important and I wanted to rest so I was better this week, try to stop it becoming worse (it did feel flu like, you know the beginning, mainly achey but not horrendous)

On Friday I felt a bit better, then friday evening my throat became very sore, then yesterday I felt very unwell, and in the middle of the night/early this morning I woke with a fever, felt so so awful skin crawling.

Now, my throat is raw, I have 4 large yellow spots/lumps on the back of my throat and the dangly bit (is that the tonsil? i never remember), my muscles feel like I have run 10 miles, I have a stinking headache, my ears hurt, my stomach hurts.

And I have to go to work tomorrow.

So I am feeling sorry for myself. Any suggestions on how to make myself look/feel a bit more human and with less of a voice that sounds like Sonia from Eastenders as I am running a training course tomorrow for criminals. It is going to be a tough 4 hours, let alone feeling crap too.

[sad[

[PavlovtheCat]

And DD wont sleep, and she wont keep still and she wont leave me alone, climbing all over me, but I just want her to be calm and quiet. She has got food everwhere, over the floor, over my nice expensive quilt that I have been trying to snuggle under, and I can't tell her off as I can just about talk. She is being wild around me, almost like she knows I can't stop her very easily!

Now she wants to play 'tigers' like she does with daddy, and I want to, but its just all to much effort, so now I feel guilty and ill.

And now she is kicking me, after chucking a towel in my face.

[PavlovtheCat]

I just called DH to ask him to come home and help with DD as I cant cope.

'there is only 9 laps of the race left, you ok to wait until its finished?' FFS! If I could wait, I would not be calling surely?

Witters on to herself>

[meglet]

Do you have any ice cream / ice lollies? I find they are the only thing that cheer me up a little bit when I get dreaded tonsilitis.

[ninja]

You can get an antiseptic spray Difflan?? I think from the pharmacy that numbs the pain a bit.

The dangly bit is the epiglotis, the 2 speres are the tonsils. When I get it mine swell up until they touch!!

Hope you're feeling better soon x

[PavlovtheCat]

Ninja - that bit, the epiglotis - that has a huge lump on it. The spheres....are they the bits either side? They are covered too, it looks like bits of food stuck (sorry, tmi!). last time I had something like this they were ulcers, rather than creamy/yellow stuff...is this tonsiitis then? I am guessing it is, and last time what just a throat infection . I will see what pharmacy is open now and try to get that spray. I remember DD had it when she had Croup.

Meglet - I have a magnum, which I don't fancy! I had soup for lunch which I did not enjoy. Yesterday we went to St Ives in Cornwall, bad mistake as I already felt rough....had a 'funny turn' where my throat sort of swelled up suddenly, and I coughed lots almost like I could not breathe! A glug of water helped, and then I had to have a lemon merangue ice cream to help soothe it! But I did not have it dipped in chocolate like I would normally, and I did not want the cone .

AND I have gone off coffee, thats when I know I am unwell, when I don't want coffee.

[meglet]

the creamy yellow stuff on your tonsils is the nasty infection part [yuck emoticon].

Are you taking the maximum safe levels of paracetamol / ibruprofen for the pain? My gp has prescribed me penicillin in the past when I have had a really nasty bout of it.

Tonsilitis is the work of the devil .

[PavlovtheCat]

meglet - I have taken ibuprofen, and some paracetamol, but its making me urge!

It is horrid.

Will it better by tomorrow, given that I have felt unwell for the last week, am I likely to feel better than today, and go into work?

[ninja]

The last 2 times I've had it I've HAD to have antibiotics unfortunately (throat and whole face swelled up so much that they said I'd be in hospital if it didn't go down).

Sorry that's not encouraging.

[PavlovtheCat]

Ninja - mine is not that bad, just very very painful, along with lots of other aches and pains.

Namely, headache, pain in my belly, sort of ovary direction, on either side, neck is stiff and calves feel very very sore. Oh and my ears twinge! But other twinges too here and there.

[kiddiz]

Can you see an out of hours doctor today? Sounds like you need antibotics to me. Hope you're better soon.

[MadameCastafiore]

Gargle with hydrogen peroxide solution and it will oxidise the bacteria - do it every 3 hours and you will be on the road to recovery before too long.

[PavlovtheCat]

Madame - really? That will not hurt me/poison me? I have seen what it does to hair!!!

I have been salt gargling, sort of easing it a bit. And just had some hot squash and a nap, and some ibruprofen and Paramol, feel a bit better.

[cocolepew]

Get AB's I had this in April and I've just got over it . It hasn't been continuous but the AB's I got at first wasn't strong enough, got another dose, they weren't strong enough and ended up with strep throat feeling rubbish for weeks. Hope you feel better soon, do you really have to go to work? You need to rest.

[PavlovtheCat]

cocolepew - Poor you! April was months ago!

I have been thinking about the work thing, and I am torn between

1. This is a 22 session Cognitive Behaviour Programme, there are two sessions this week, the first being the most important as it sorts out problems with attendance, increases motivation, gets those on the group to meet the tutors, and enables those who are disruptive to be challenged and removed if necessary. This first session out of all of the sessions is probably the most crucial to attend, along with the last.

The following week I am on leave, so there will be a cover tutor. If I do not go in for the first two sessions, I will in fact miss the first 4 sessions, which will mean bonding is more difficult, respect from group/control etc will be harder to gain. And it is my second group, the first with this tutor, so its a big deal.

1. On the other hand. I am going to working with around 20 people, plus the tutor, plus colleagues I will be bumping into in the morning/evening. We have air con at work, as it is a large building and there is about 100 people there, although probably not any more than 50 at any one time. Bugs spread like wildfire in our building and it would be potentially irresponsible to go into work knowing I have not a common cold but tonsilitis or similar which others might get much more severely than me (especially my clients, who are often less healthy in the first place, not intending to stereotype but those I work with do not always look after themselves well). On top of that, I will have to prep for my work, concentrate hard, and run a group/concentrate hard for 4 hours. I will potentially have to deal with argumentative people, aggression and general disgruntled people who would rather be elsewhere. The first session is tough and I am not sure I feel well enough to cope.

You know, I might ask a general poll of MNers and see what they all think - another thread coming up.

[Yorkiegirl]

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[PavlovtheCat]

Yorkie - oh how did they taste?!!

Thing is, I have infections a good twice/three times a year, and I also get sinus infections about the same time. Dr says to me, oh thats your weak area, each time, when I ask why. And they never say tonsilitis, they say throat infection. And on one of sick notes, the Dr put sore throat when I had tonsilitis!!! I must have looked like a right wuss taking two weeks off for a sore throat!!!

[cocolepew]

I've been getting sore throats about 3 times a year for the past 3 years. I hardly ever go to my GP but this last one was so sore I had to. I mentioned that I'm having too much time of work due to it and I'm going at the end of the month to ENT to see if I need my tonsills out. STAY AT HOME!

[pooka]

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/28/healthandwellbeing.health

This article (sent to me by my father when I had it last time) made me feel better - totally jsutified how rotten and useless I felt.

[PavlovtheCat]

pooka - that is almost me exactly, up to the hallucinations, luckily mine is not that bad, but I was up last night watching Finding Nemo as I could not sleep, and although I feel better today I cannot swallow anything other than ice cream, and hopefully some risotto cooked by DH.

[pooka]

It is rotten.
Things I find help are
soluble paracetomol to gargle with and sip overnight.
custard
milkshakes when haven't eaten for too long but cannot swallow comfortably
high doses of antibiotics. Get to the doctor if no improvement because you may need medicine.

[PavlovtheCat]

Pooka - thanks for that, I was able to eat tea, so must be getting better ! DH did a really nice risotto, nice and soft and mushy. I could only eat a small amount before feeling nauseous, but it had lots of small chopped up veg so some goodness in it.

Not helped, but DD went absolutely nuts before bed, just turned into an absolute maniac! She has been a pain all day to be honest, but she turned into some wild child and I was so surprised, and just as I was starting to feel better, I shouted at her and now have no voice at all!

[PavlovtheCat]

My Dr was horrified when she saw my throat! She wanted a med student to be there to observe the horrendousness of a real sore throat!

She has given me penicillin, and told me I am not to go to work this week, got a sick note and said it may take into next week to recover enough to go back, and that she would write another one for next week happily if I need it.

She said that it was not tonsilitis, gave some reason to do with tonsilitis being a specific infection of the tonsils, whereas this was not, this was an all over throat infection.

She said something similar to that article you sent pooka about people not recognising a sore throat as valid, whereas it is in fact extremely dibiliating, even when not as severe as I have.

She was just astounded that it was this bad and said it was a good job I went in today as it would not clear on its own without penicillin.

[PavlovtheCat]

God what if I am not well enough to go away next week on my first anniversary holiday?

[rubyloopy]

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[PavlovtheCat]

ruby - any suggestions for food, other than soup?!! I am going to get very bored with it!