happens every time

Start at a new school, get sick.

Tuesday night I came down with strep throat for the first time since I was in college. I can't remember the last time I had a fever that wasn't the typical mild post-op elevation of temperature, the kind that doesn't bother anyone.

Tuesday night, I had chills so bad my teeth were chattering, and I was torn between letting them knock (painful) and trying to clench them together so they didn't (also painful, and likely to trigger my TMD again.) In the end I just took both Aleve and then Tylenol a couple of hours later, and went to bed. And woke up with a fever on Wednesday.

I felt terrible all over and didn't notice much of a sore throat, but I decided to look at my throat anyway, hoping it would be strep so I could get treatment -- and relief -- right away. I was shocked by how red my throat was! So I hauled my poor sick self off to the doctors, and they did the rapid strep and it came back positive.

Now I'm on the Z-pack and I do feel a lot better. The fever has dissipated completely but my throat is still very painful. I'm still astounded by how much my throat hurts. I hope it stops soon. (I just realized it's killing me right now because my meds have worn off, but I'll hold off taking more until I'm going to bed.)

So I've been home from work these past two days, but not exactly idle, even though I've been feeling icky. Both days Mom and I did errands to get ready for DS1's birthday party tomorrow; today I brought the kids to the Y and waited during DD's dance class. I drafted two columns while I was waiting -- I was running the nutrition numbers Tuesday night when the strep descended on me -- and then I wrote up both columns after dinner. Now I'm off the hook until April, which is good because I don't want to have to be thinking about a column while we're wrapping up the prep work for the thyroid cancer workshop on March 3... which has also been occupying my time, and my thoughts, as the day creeps ever closer. More on that, later.