Wednesday 31 July 2013

Getting better? Yes?...No?...Hell, I dunno.

Pottering around the kitchen this morning making breakfast, and suddenly realised my throat didn't hurt quite so much.  Or did it?  Well I'm taking 3 lots of Ibuprofen a day and 4 lots of Paracetamol, but the last thing I took was a couple of para last night.  Which was 6 hours ago. So if my throat feels milder now...does that mean it's getting better?  Possibly.  I'll see if the trend continues, though I'm prepared to believe that this might just be within the statistical range of "more" or "less" painful.

I'd give it maybe 4.5 / 10 today.  We'll see.  Hurts when I swallow, and yawn.

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Neck Pain. Week 4 and a bit.

Back to work today, and my 4th day on regular ibuprofen and paracetamol.  Is it any better? Difficult to tell.  I think not, but then does that mean it would be worse if I wasn't taking the drugs?  Because I'm back at work, I get periods of boredom, during which time I yawn...and it hurts when I yawn.  It really does feel like a weird cross between a viral ache and a muscular one. I've sat with my hands on my face, poking and prodding, but I can't feel any lumps or any soreness...other than what I feel when I swallow.  But the pain is strange.  Almost familiar.  I've felt something like this before, if only I could remember.  Come to think about it, it does feel like the pain you get in your parotid gland when you're hungry.  This is weird. Weird and unpleasant. 

Monday 29 July 2013

Neck pain. Week 4

It's Monday.  I'm on leave for a day with the kids while Kay's at work, typing this before I make their breakfast.  A little bit hungover from a combination of the hot weather and two large bottles of Stella last night.  My neck still hurts.

I say "my neck" but it's a kind of combination of my throat and "inside" my neck.  About 3 weeks ago I suddenly realised it kind of hurt when I swallowed.   At first I thought I was coming down with a cold, but then as the week went on and no cold materialised I realised it was something else. I still don't know what.  I can't feel any pain if I poke or massage the area, or any lumps or anything, although there does seem a semblance of stiffness round the neck and shoulder.  This could be the cause of the pain, or a result of it.  I just don't know.  Went to the GP on Thursday last week, and she couldn't see anything obvious down my throat (it's about on a level with my jawbone), or feel any swelling.  So her immediate response was "take ibuprofen 3 times a day then see me again in 2 weeks."

I suppose I could have pointed out that I've already been doing this for a week and it makes no difference, but it never occurred to me.  Pain killers hardly touch it, but I guess I've got to go through the motions.  It could be anything I suppose - a wrenched neck, or a swallowed piece of fingernail that's lodged in my throat (yes I do bite my nails), or something "more serious" Dan Dan Daaaahh...

Whatever, it's been going on for almost 4 weeks now so I figured it was ripe for blogging.   If nothing else it'll be interesting to look back on.

Pain level out of 10....7.
Type of pain...burning ache when I swallow.