My Blog

Hey everyone,

In case you’re wondering why I’m MIA…

I’ve actually been really sick and I haven’t been to work this week.
I had a sore throat Sunday night and then suddenly Monday morning, tonsillitis. I got a prescription for penicillin Monday but it wasn’t working and Thursday I had to go to the Emergency room because it got so bad that I couldn’t swallow (voluntary or involuntary). I sounded like I was deaf when I talked, I couldn’t stop drooling and at one point I had a fever of 104. I had developed what’s called a "periodontal abscess" basically a big pocket of pus behind my tonsils.

The first Doctor had given me a note for 3 days off from work, but on the third day, Wednesday, I still wasn’t well ( my fever was less, but my throat still hurt terribly, I couldn’t swallow and couldn’t sleep because I kept waking up when I drooled) so I called the Doctor to try to go back. They set up an appointment for 10:30 a.m. Thursday with another Doctor. I felt fine to drive to the appointment alone so I didn’t ask my family for help. Well, the Doctor was so shocked when he saw me, and my swollen tonsils, that he walked me over to the Emergency Room himself. I had no idea I’d be going there that day. I ended up being there from 10:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m. This new Doctor also said that my original prescription was way too weak and I should have been taking it 4 times a day not twice a day, but there’s no way I could have known that.

The Emergency room was really scary and I was there all alone for over an hour. I don’t even like Doctor shows on TV because they scare me; so much pain and suffering. I saw a lot of sick people there. One man sounded like he was dying of pain and then he stared throwing up; One Latino boy had a huge bunch of gauze wrapped around his finger that was bloody so it looked like his finger was really badly cut if not severed. I was worried for all the people there and prayed for them; it took a long time before they saw the Doctors even as sick as they were.

I didn’t realize how very sick I was. The Emergency Room staff was very worried about the periodontal abscess and treated me in the Emergency Room before sending me to see an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist. In the Emergency Room they hooked me up to an IV to hydrate and medicate me (with pain killer, a swelling reducer and antibiotic) and took I don’t know how many blood samples. I still have a bruise on my arm from the IV.

My Mom ended up joining me in the office of the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (She was having a hard time getting around since her car is in the shop). The Ear Nose and Throat Specialist said that it was one of the worst periodontal abscess that she had ever seen and she had to use 3 needles to drain it, the most that she said she has ever used on a patient. Lucky me. ;( She gave me a stronger prescription and I am feeling much better now. Not 100 % but better.

All the Doctors and nurses were very nice and helpful. It makes a big difference to have people who care about your health.

I went back to the Ear Nose and Throat Specialist Friday and they said it’s getting better, but they want me to have my tonsils removed to prevent this from happening again.

So that’s surgery. Not something I take lightly. They said it will take about 2 weeks to recover from. They said it shouldn’t hurt my singing any, but it will be 2 weeks of no singing or capoeira or gymnastics or samba. All of that is too strenuous. I think I could still fire dance though.

I think I’ll wait to have the surgery until mid November. I gotta check my work schedule and I want to wait until after my Birthday (and birthday roda) and Halloween and Gui’s/CentroSul’s batizado (11-10 to 11-12) but before Thanksgiving and Christmas and our end of the year roda.

I hope you’re all doing a lot better than me.

Take care,

Erica

P.S. I have some recent nice happy moments captured in my last two blogs(on myspace that is…) "Fire Dancing" and "Streets of NY".