One Dr Visit Down...

The week of complete voice rest did nothing to help the laryngitis, which is now into Day 23. And although through most of this I didn't have any health problems other than recurring sinusitis, starting on Thursday I started to feel crummy and I basically spent the entire weekend drinking tea, sucking on lozenges, and watching sports on TV. Thanks to the co-worker who helped me call my HMO the Friday before last, I had an appointment this morning. Basically, a nurse practitioner took my temperature (slight fever), blood pressure (fine), and looked at my throat, up my nose, and in my ears.

Verdict? Everything behind my face that can be swollen is: behind my ears, my nasal passages, my throat, my sinuses. I've got either a viral infection or allergic reaction (although as far as I know, I have no environmental allergies). In the end, I got what I was seeking: for the $10 visit, I got a referral to the ENT dept. Unfortunately, they are supposedly going to call me to set up an appointment, so I might have to press a co-worker into service again to call them back.

At least it appears that there is an explanation other than that I wrecked my vocal cords by talking through this thing when it first started, for which news I'm very grateful. I'm still a bit nervous about my trip to India: I'm supposed to be doing presentations there for work beginning Nov 15 and I'll need my voice back by then.

And I'm really, really tired of not being able to use the phone - I had no idea how much I depended on it and have a bunch of errands backed up that I can only do by phone (move my newspaper bill online before I go to Australia, call to get the hours of a local distributor of a sunhat I want to buy, report a fraudulent auction charge to my credit card company, and others). The only ray of sunshine is that I have the perfect excuse not to have to participate in phone conferences at work: I can put the phone on mute and go on with my work.

Thanks to everyone who has been kindly enquiring about my health. I will report on the ENT visit when it happens - and it can't be too soon for me.

One Dr Visit Down...

The week of complete voice rest did nothing to help the laryngitis, which is now into Day 23. And although through most of this I didn't have any health problems other than recurring sinusitis, starting on Thursday I started to feel crummy and I basically spent the entire weekend drinking tea, sucking on lozenges, and watching sports on TV. Thanks to the co-worker who helped me call my HMO the Friday before last, I had an appointment this morning. Basically, a nurse practitioner took my temperature (slight fever), blood pressure (fine), and looked at my throat, up my nose, and in my ears.

Verdict? Everything behind my face that can be swollen is: behind my ears, my nasal passages, my throat, my sinuses. I've got either a viral infection or allergic reaction (although as far as I know, I have no environmental allergies). In the end, I got what I was seeking: for the $10 visit, I got a referral to the ENT dept. Unfortunately, they are supposedly going to call me to set up an appointment, so I might have to press a co-worker into service again to call them back.

At least it appears that there is an explanation other than that I wrecked my vocal cords by talking through this thing when it first started, for which news I'm very grateful. I'm still a bit nervous about my trip to India: I'm supposed to be doing presentations there for work beginning Nov 15 and I'll need my voice back by then.

And I'm really, really tired of not being able to use the phone - I had no idea how much I depended on it and have a bunch of errands backed up that I can only do by phone (move my newspaper bill online before I go to Australia, call to get the hours of a local distributor of a sunhat I want to buy, report a fraudulent auction charge to my credit card company, and others). The only ray of sunshine is that I have the perfect excuse not to have to participate in phone conferences at work: I can put the phone on mute and go on with my work.

Thanks to everyone who has been kindly enquiring about my health. I will report on the ENT visit when it happens - and it can't be too soon for me.