Saturday, April 07, 2007

How's Your Uvula?

(9/21/08) EDITED TO ADD : You probably Googled "Swollen Uvula," didn't you? This post gets more hits than any other on my blog, and it's not even the best one. You really should read a little more of my blog, when you have time. I hope your Uvula gets better. :)


Ugh.

Last week, I turned my air conditioner on when the high temperature was above 80 degrees.

However, for the last three days, I've had my heat on. It's freezing. Tonight it's supposed to get down into the 20's. And I just finished putting all the cold-weather clothes away to make room for spring clothes.

Whenever the weather changes drastically in a short period like that, I inevitably get sick. I've had a runny nose, stuffy head and sore throat since Wednesday. I've been living on Propel water, soup and orange juice.

Ugh.

This morning I woke up alone in my bed. Apparently I snored so loud last night R had to move to the living room sofa. I always feel really bad when that happens. My throat felt like I had swallowed barbed wire. I tried to look in the mirror to see if my tonsils were coated in that white gunk from strep.

You know what a uvula is? It's that little dangly thing in the back of your throat.

Here's what a normal one looks like.



Here's mine.




My uvula was the size of my thumb.
I could feel it resting on the back of my tongue.

Ugh.

So once again, all I could manage to swallow this morning was Propel and orange juice. Remember this liquid diet thing, it comes up later.

Beebie got invited by a friend to go see Meet the Robinsons this morning. The boys had wanted to see it too, and I knew they'd be disappointed, so I offered to take them to see something else that I knew Beebie didn't want to see.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Look, I've been lightheaded. I'm not thinking clearly.
That's my defense.

I brought my MP3 player, smuggled some bottles of water and granola bars in my Gigantor purse, and off we went.

I thought maybe something salty would help with the sore throat, so we shared some popcorn. Are you someone who finishes the popcorn before the opening credits are through? Me too.

Anyway, somewhere between ninja fight scenes, my four days of ingesting nothing but liquids hit me all at once. Usually I have Beebie with me to either watch the boys for me or take whichever of them needs to go potty during the movie, but today I was on my own. And I reeeeeeeeeally needed to go.

So it didn't help that the entire movie takes place in pouring rain.

Or that the kid behind me kept kicking my chair and jostling my innards. If I'd had the energy, I'da clocked that little jerk.

Or that the song on my MP3 player was "Three Strange Days", by School of Fish. Fish live in water, y'know.

Next song? "Tones of Home", by Blind Melon. What was the name of that other song they did? Oh yeah, something about RAIN.

I had to pee.

SO.

BAD.

My whole body ached.

And yes, it did occur to me to take both boys by the wrists and quietly explain to them that MOMMY really needed to go potty, but I feared an Ape outburst of epic proportions (ie "NOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" - I know my children) and I worried that a loud noise would cause my bladder to commit an outburst of its own.

So I waited, thinking eventually one of the Apes would ask me to take him to the potty, then we could all go. Tito, historically, has go potty at least twice during any given movie.

But not today.

UGH.

Meanwhile, my swollen uvula was still absolutely killing me. I was seriously afraid that I would swallow it and choke to death.

Poor widowed R would have to tell my friends to look for the anonymous tombstone that says nothing more than "CHOKED TO DEATH ON HER OWN UVULA", since he was trying to spare me the eternal shame of having my name etched beside my ultimate, unimaginably pathetic fate.

My uvula ached like a sumbitch, and yet there was no doubt in my mind that if I imbibed a single drop of liquid, I would explode into a giant mushroom cloud with a little flaming uvula as its source of ignition.

UGH. UGH. UGH.

I don't know which was worse - swollen bladder or swollen uvula.

I sat in turtle-icious torment until the final frame, and sprinted to the restroom - cross-legged and dragging two small children. It probably looked really funny to anyone who saw me.

I'm happy to say - I made it.

AHHHHHHHH.

And as I type this, my bladder is relieved.
But, alas, my uvula is not.

I sincerely hope my uvula heals before Sunday, so I can be at my best on a day that will undoubtedly test the power of my Power Panties. I really doubt FIL would accept "Sarah has a swollen uvula" as an excuse to miss Brunch At The Club.

Stay tuned for uvular updates.

I'll see if I can get R to take more pictures of it.

8 comments:

darlene mcleod said...

I think I had the same bug about a month ago, and I, too, was all about the soup and other hot fluids (mmm, tea...mmmm, hot chocolate!). Then dragging my sorry-self to the bathroom every thirty seconds, yes.

On the upside, maybe you can have the twisted pleasure of giving FIL your bug. Is that something you'd enjoy? If not, just forget I said anything about it.

Healthy vibes for you!

Trillian42 said...

Having made the mistake of not peeing between lunch and POTC:DMC, I can understand the incredible pain of an overfull bladder during a water-oriented movie. :)

Have you tried gargling with warm salt water? It's foul, but it does really help with a sore throat.

Dame Wendy said...

You poor thing!! Whenever my uvula is huge like that I alternate between slushies (ice, juice and blend. Mmmm) and hot peppermint tea. It always helps me.

Oh! And chloraseptic spray. It rocks.

I had that same full bladder experience while waiting in line at 4am to see a free Prince concert (at 9am). I just about died.

Take care!!

Dame Wendy said...

Oh, and thanks for having my candle banner up on your blog!! (if I didn't already thank you, and if I did thanks again!!) It's just awesomely super-duper. :)

Meghann said...

Ahhhh. I feel your pain. I have been inflicted with what sounds like the same sickness all week long. Living on liquids and trying to explain to my 2-year-old why mommy can't play because she has to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes.

Carina said...

Um, you should get that checked. It sounds bad. Maybe a nasal spray could help with the drainage. I know Hubby brings home Nasonex samples all the time for us.

Bezzie said...

Ha ha! I shouldn't laugh. It reminds me of a little song we made up about "glaciers, lakes and streams" to taunt whatever sibling had to pee on long car rides.

It was sung to the same tune as Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" (or whatever the hell that song was called.

Hope your uv feels better soon!

Cindy said...

Am I a bad mom if I make my son wait until he can go with his friends to see that movie?

I hope Sunday went OK, even the Brunch At The Club. (That would have made me really tempted to stay home sick & play the pretend-to-be-miserable-about-having-to-be-stuck-at-home card.)