The Throat Thing

In the back of my throat I can see some rather large bumps, and my tongue is coated with a white substance back there. It's not painful, but hard to swallow, and sometimes it feels like I have something stuck back there. It's not red and I am not running a temperature, but I am concerned that there might be something awry, so I make a doctor's appointment. After all, everyone around me has strep throat. I sure don't want anything to get a foot hold if I can prevent it.

I see the physician's assistant. She peers at the back of my throat with a flashlight and asks me lots of questions. She does a swab even though she does not think I have strep or any big issue. But she agrees that with my medical history, better safe than sorry. And as long as I drink cold liquids, the impact is minimal. I go home relieved. Two days later, I get a call from the physician's assistant. Turns out I have a mild yeast infection in my throat. Although I normally treat yeast infections by eating more yogurt, we decide that to be on the safe side, I should gargle with a prescription medication that will clear it right up.

Whew! Simple, and tasty stuff. So three times a day, I brush my teeth, then gargle with pink bubblegum juice, swish it around my mouth, then swallow. The big bumps are shrinking, the sensation that something is stuck in my throat fades. Thank God for modern medicine.