Big Breath...and let it out...

On Wednesday I had a very productive appointment with my ENT doctor.  I had the intradermal testing done on some negatives from my allergy testing.  To my previous list of allergies I can now add two types of grass and two more trees: Elm and Olive. 

This was a follow-up appointment for that nasty ear infection I've had all year (meaning the year 2010, not the last 12 months).  My ear finally looks better!  Hallelujah!!!! 

I also went with two questions.  The first was to do with a problem I've had with voice strain for the last several months.  I cannot sing anymore without serious pain and hoarseness afterward :(  The doc did a scope right there (Fiber-optic laringoscopy -- not particularly comfy, but at least it was quick) which showed that I have severe Muscle Tension Dysphonia.  The muscles that run the vocal chords are over-working so my voice is being used wrong.  SO, I have to start seeing a voice therapist to learn how to use my voice right again.  At least it sounds like it will only be about 4 visits, so that's do-able I guess.

My second question was to do with my tonsils.  I've had slightly to moderately inflamed tonsils for years.  In the last few years my tonsils have begun producing tonsiloliths (tonsil stones) which are straight up NASTY.  It's basically (sorry, there's no un-gross way to put this) particles of food caught in the tonsils which get bacteria built up around it to form a wad of white nasty stinky gunk.  They can be quite painful and it's basically a breeding ground for nasties which then randomly drop down the throat (or can sometimes be "popped" out of the tonsils or coughed out) adding a whole new layer of gross to the bacterial climate of the body.  Considering how well my body does NOT do with infections, a couple of doctors have recommended a tonsillectomy. 
My ENT concurred (I swear I saw their eyeballs spin with dollar signs in them, lol) and they proceded to schedule my surgery.  The doctor I see (Seth Riddle -- same ENT who removed Kate's tonsils several years ago) does surgeries once a month.  So I could either wait several weeks or have the surgery on Friday.  (Yes, this appointment was yesterday and the surgery is tomorrow!).  I'm actually happy with this because it gives me less time to stress out about it.

So tomorrow morning I'm going under the knife again.  The more I talk to people and research about adult tonsil/adenoid-ectomies the more I'm dreading the next couple of weeks.  Kate's recovery was so quick and she bounced back so much faster than we expected... and mine will probably be SO much worse.  Ugh.

Enough gross stuff.  Here's something GOOD!  (Woo Hoo!!!)

I started seeing another doctor a while ago.  He came highly recommended and is in addition to all my other doctors (cause I just don't have enough doctors, right?).  I admit I call this guy the "voodoo doctor"  or "Doctor Facilier" (seen 'The Princess and the Frog'?).  He's actually an alternative health provider who mainly uses homeopathic supplements and treatments for issues.  He did an assessment of my body (Chinese Meridian Assessment) which actually came up with nothing particularly shocking.  My kidneys and liver are weak, my lymph-nodes aren't draining properly, I have chronic infection / inflammation in the upper respiratory area (see also: tonsils!), etc.  He started me on a pill and two different drops.  I figured nothing much would happen, but all of a sudden this week (it has been a couple of weeks now) the swelling along my jaw line has gone down!  I also finally lost two pounds.  Not much, I know, but finally SOMETHING.  Basically my body isn't getting rid of the garbage.  So even when I go on antibiotics to kill off something all the dead bugs are left floating around because my lymph-nodes, liver, and kidneys are too lazy to clear it all out.  Thus the infections are persistent and recurrent.  I'm feeling hopeful that this doc will get some of my body working well enough that it can self-correct on some of these things that are running my health SO out of whack.

It may be a while before I"m back.  We'll see how my recovery goes.  Fingers crossed and especially arms crossed (praying).