Let me start by stating that I recognize how lucky I am to enjoy overall good health. I try to remember to regularly take a moment to acknowledge and be grateful for this. That's why things like this "Infection of Unknown Origin" irk me so much. Not only is the condition itself painful, unsightly, and bothersome...but the doctor couldn't tell me WHY I had it. In general, I'm someone who prefers to know the reason for everything--so not knowing where it came from or how to prevent it from recurring really ticked me off on both a personal and an intellectual level. One incident you can write off--"eh, weird germs just find ya, sometimes". But when it happens again, 3 months later, on the other side of your face...that's just...unsettling. And frankly, kind of insulting as well--hey, rogue...bacteria...guys: stop picking on me! With each bout, the practitioners who evaluated me shook their heads sympathetically, admitted they were just as clueless as I was as to what it could be (um, not so reassuring) and prescribed an antibiotic. Now, don't get me wrong, although I don't take them very often, I'm a big fan of pharmaceuticals when necessary (like for example "to pulverize wayward microbes"). But just throwing pills at the problem to (hopefully) make it go away wasn't good enough this time. I also wanted answers, doggone it!
So, I set up a consultation with an ENT. (Because, it's near my throat, right? Maybe she'll have some super secret stockpile of diagnostic information related to the head/neck region? One can hope...) She palpated and peered and posed probing questions, all while nodding encouragingly and appearing thoughtfully puzzled. After our discussion, she decided that bloodwork was warranted (yippee, I just LOVE needles), as well as a CT Scan. Now that's what I'm talking about. Maybe we find nothing, but at least we're researching! (I know: nerd, nerd, nerd. I can't help it.) I figured it was best to just get this over with as soon as possible, so I headed downstairs to the Radiology Suite to soak up some rays. I've experienced x-rays and one MRI, but this was my first scanning. The technician first inserted a temporary line to inject the contrast dye. (More needles! Yaaay! But wait, it gets better: she was displeased with her first attempt, so took it out and did another one! Whoo...Hoo...) When it was time to slide me into the spaceship-looking-machine, she readied the fluid that would be going in my arm. Then she warned me offhandedly that I might feel "a warmth in my throat." (Hold on--from stuff entering my ARM? That's weird...) "Actually," she continued, "it might spread throughout your body." She paused. "Sometimes people think they're peeing because of the sensation." She hastened to add, "Don't worry, you're not!" Gee, this sounds absolutely...delightful. Are we done yet?
After that wonderful setup, the actual CT scan took about 5 minutes and was completely easy. So just to keep the medical misadventure chugging along, I went straight to the Lab to let them stab me with a sharp object too. (Why not, I have another arm, yeah?) The phlebotomist here was so very practiced and smooth, I didn't even register that she'd pricked me until we were almost done. Honestly the worst part of the Lab portion easily had to be sitting in the waiting room watching the Front Desk personnel check in...one person...every 20 minutes. Watching your own hair grow has GOT to be more fulfilling and less frustrating. Oh, and how could I forget: hanging out with the numerous toddlers and preschoolers who would be involuntarily donating some of their blood. The amount of shrieking, protesting, and crying--before anyone had even approached any of them with a potentially painful sharp object--made for a tense, ear-splitting, and all-around unpleasant "When will it ever be my turn" period.
But, that's thankfully all behind me. Now it's just a matter of letting the professionals analyze the data, figure out what's what, and report back to me. Meanwhile I'll continue to dutifully pop my antibiotic (and probiotic, to counteract the...ahem...potential side effects) and keep my fingers crossed for good news!
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