Repeated Stabbing of the Throat Doesn't Feel Great

I didn't feel 100% Thursday. I felt weak and tired.

Friday morning provided a better clue as to what was wrong with me.

My throat hurt every time I swallowed, as if someone was stabbing me in the throat with a knife. (I've never had that done to me, and I don't actually know what it feels like--I'm speculating a little bit here.)

It's a sharp pain, and it makes you want to avoid swallowing.

I went into school since I didn't have a sub, but I started to think that it would probably be a good idea to arrange for covers.

My self-diagnosis, based on that pain I hadn't felt in several years but which I was pretty sure I had experienced before, was that I had strep throat. In addition to causing personal misery, it's also supposed to be highly contagious.

So I tried to keep away from everyone.

I got everything together during morning planning, and I arranged for covers, knowing how much I hated to put people in that position but also knowing that it was necessary for me to be able to leave and go see the doctor.

(Covers are fellow teachers who take over your class during your absence when you don't have a sub. If you want to ruin a teacher's day, put him or her in the position of having to cover for your class. Sometimes it's unavoidable. I don't have an exact count, but I think I've used covers a total of three days (maybe) during going-on-10 years of teaching. If at all avoidable, I make sure other teachers don't have to cover my class.)

Left school, went to the doctor, got my throat swabbed, and sure enough, when the doctor returned, he confirmed what I strongly suspected: I had strep throat.

Got my medicine, began taking it, slept a lot, watched some TV when awake, drank plenty of fluids, and now, Sunday evening, my throat is no longer in any pain when I swallow.

According to the doctor, I'm no longer contagious.

Plan to be back at work tomorrow.

Highlights of the weekend entirely indoors?

Got to watch Carolina beat Virginia 7-5. (I loved the way the game ended. You can't beat that kind of entertainment!)

Watched a favorite movie, "Donnie Darko." A good movie to see this time of the year. It is "R"-rated, primarily for its language--the characters don't always treat each other very well or say the nicest things to one another, which actually makes it similar to real life at times. I cry at the end of this movie every time I see it--there's something deeply touching about the ending, once you sit back and think about what just took place.