Ode to a Sore Throat

The painful swallowing I can hardly bear
along with the throbbing in my ear.

That scratchy feeling, so unkind
The beating drums within my mind.

A rundown ache down in my chest
and a burning feeling inside my breast.

Pressure builds behind the eyes
which water much, like little cries.

O sweet physician, can't you cure
how much more must I endure?

***

I have had a sore throat now almost constantly since Christmas. I went to the doctor prior to New Year's and received an antibiotic. A few days after finishing the antibiotic, the sore throat returned (this is a sore throat complete with blisters; it's like swallowing a cactus constantly). I phoned the doctor and received a different antibiotic prescription. The sore throat cleared up and I finished the antibiotic about a week ago, and on Saturday the blisters and sore throat returned.

The doctor saw me again yesterday and I asked for a strep test, which was negative. She suggested I might have mono! So she took blood to test for that and I am waiting on the results. I guess they'll look for other things, too, if that is negative.

I must say, looking at the list of symptoms, mono does seem a likely candidate. But I suppose it could be any other virus, too.

I did not know you could have mono more than once. I had it when I was 19 and was very sick with it for nearly a month. Of course, this sore throat has been going on for about a month now so maybe whatever this is is nearing the end of its course.

Additionally, I have wondered if this is some weird allergic reaction, because I have many allergies. I don't have a lot of food allergies, though I do have some. In thinking back, I believe if it is an allergy, it might be shrimp, because I had shrimp Christmas Day and woke the next morning with a bad sore throat, and I had sweet and sour shrimp right before I woke up with the second round of sore throat, and again this Friday night and woke Saturday with a sore throat. However, I don't know how you check that other than by staying away from shrimp for a while and then eating them to see if you get a sore throat.

A shrimp allergy would be new to me, and I don't know if that would translate into a new allergy to shellfish or all fish or what. Which would be terrible because I really like fish.

However, I don't have hives or anything like that, just this sore throat, so I am not at all sure this is an allergy. Guess I'll let the doctor sort it out.