Just a quote...

Friendship is like peeing in your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth. -- Anonymous Internet User

ENT Followup

I had my doctor's appointment this morning.

Very nice doctor, can't say the same for what he had to do to me.

I have 2nd degree burns at the start of my esophagus as well as the larynx. There is obvious scabbing in my throat and there will be some scarring. The degree of scarring and permanent changes will determine if I have to have other procedures done.

He wants to continue eating (duh) but on a soft bland diet with nothing spicy or highly acidic. Which reminds me, I also need to go to the grocery store and get groceries. I need to get a bunch of soft stuff for me. I'm wanting pudding and soup and stuff.

I have three more prescriptions to get filled. All are pediatric variants so I can take them in a liquid form. A steriod to counter the infection (which means I have to change my diabetes meds, steriods cause a marked increase in blood sugar), an antibiotic (wouldn't strep on top of this suck?!), and yet more yummy liquid vicodin. The doctor recommended Walgreens as they will add a flavor to it for a small fee. So instead of the Lortab I'm on now, which tastes like cough syrup, I can have cherry flavored cough syrup.

All I know, I'm ready to go back to work. I'm bored silly here and there's nothing at work for me to do as I don't have my full voice.

This is a silent post...

So yeah. Monday I was scheduled to work a half day 2p-7p.

I got up around 11am and puttered around the house for a while then decided to make lunch.

I made up Johnsonville Brats and french fries in the oven. They cooked thoroughly and I do mean thoroughly. 195F out of the oven thoroughly.

I had cut one of the brats in half and picked up that half, biting into the end of it. I thought I had bitten off maybe an inch or two of the brat (which I had), but I hadn't completely bitten through the casing.

In the subsequent 30-45 seconds, I choked on said brat and had said very hot brat stuck in my throat. I managed to finally get it down my throat, but the pain was excruciating. I sent an email that I'd not be into work and laid down.

I somewhat expect it to hurt for a while, but when it was starting to affect my breathing and I could barely talk by 6pm, I knew it was probably more serious than I realized.

Off to the ER, where it was made obvious that I had burns and trauma to my throat and to my larynx (vocal cords). I was prescribed liquid vicodin and told to follow up with the ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) doctor ASAP.
Tuesday was spent sitting around the house. I cleaned like a fiend but it was more out frustration. I woke up and had no voice. If I did manage to get out a few words, I'd start coughing uncontrollably, making the pain worse.

Today is more of the same. I'm seeing the ENT at 10:10am tomorrow. I can finally eat soft solid foods like overcooked pasta. I actually enjoyed a PB&J sandwich today. The worst part of it is that I constantly feel like I have something stuck in my throat and when I eat, I always feel like I'm choking and gagging. I'm always sucking on sore throat lozenges and trying to avoid the liquid vicodin. It works okay, but it is vicodin, which I have built up a tolerance for over the years.

In the weirdness of it all, I was sitting watching TV tonight and Connelly, the grey tabby, who doesn't like me much, decided he wanted to curl up with me in the easy chair. We sat there for about 45 minutes with me petting him and him just as content as could be and even purring. I've never heard Connelly purr that loudly. Normally, it's barely audible and I could hear him over the TV.

It must be true what it is said about pets and knowing when their owners need the extra love and attention.

But I'm off to take my medication and head to bed.

Gay Marriage should be illegal...

1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.