So, today was the day I have been fearing for a long, long time; The day I had my appointment with an ENT to discuss my recurrent tonsillitis that is becoming a royal pain in my butt.
Before I went to the appointment, I googled the doctor and discovered this article and this website and found myself kinda sorta freaked out. Does my doctor think I need plastic surgery? Reconstructive surgery? WTF?
Having no idea what else to do, I went. Firstly, may I say that I want to live in his office? It is beautiful old house.
When I got there, there were pamphlets and advertisements for plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures everywhere. I felt really confused and asked the receptionist if this was a cosmetic surgery clinic. She told me the doctor was also a ENT. Phew. I looked at his card on the counter and saw “ENT” in tiny letters next to the proclamations of all his cosmetic surgery credentials. I don’t think routine OHIP covered tonsillectomies are his bread and butter. No wonder I got about 3 minutes of his precious time (after spending 40 minutes of my precious time in his waiting room).
But I digress. The waiting room of a plastic surgeon is a fun place, everyone eyeing each other nervously…wondering who is getting what done. There were several older women in the waiting room giving me encouraging smiles…I wasn’t sure if I should be offended that they thought I needed plastic surgery, or flattered that maybe, just maybe, they thought I was coming for follow-up treatment and didn’t realize that my exquisite beauty is all natural! Imagine, I could be pretty enough that someone thought I spent thousands of dollars to look this good !?
Then, after spending a lot of time looking at magezines full of before and after pictures of nose jobs and breast implants, I finally got called in to the office. The doctor was much much cuter than the pictures on the website would have had me believe. I may have actually blushed. Meeting went like this: (FM-me, CD=cute doctor)
FM-Hi
CD-Hi, so, you’re here for throat problems?
FM-Well, recurrent tonsillitis, actually. I have gotten it 3-4 times a year since I was in university, and have most recently gotten it it in July, September and December of 2007. It usually now requires a couple of rounds of anti-biotics just to get rid of it, and some of them don’t work anymore, and it keeps coming back…
CD looks in my throat for 1 second.
CD- Well, they look swollen and inflamed and infected, I recommend a gargle. Starts to walk out.
FM-Wait, what kind of gargle? Is that all?
CD-Hydrogen peroxide with water, and a little salt. 3 times a day. Good-Bye…
FM-Wait. That’s all? I get sick with tonsillitis several times a year, 3 times in the last 6 months, and you want me to gargle?
CD-Well, it is not that serious. Some people have it 10 times a year.
FM-Not to you. It is very painful, and I miss a week or so of work every time. It is a real problem for me.
CRD-Well, the surgery is serious, and I don’t think it warrants that, yet.
FM-Okay, I agree, and I don’t want surgery. But I have read about the effectiveness of long term anti-biotics on recurrent tonsillitis. Should I try that?
CRD-No, I am worried about the effect of anti-biotics on your body. (Does he not realize I have already spent 1/2 of the last 6 months on anti-biotics?). Try the gargle for a few months, it may help get rid of the infection in the tissue. If it does not work, ask your doctor for the anti-biotics. I wont prescribe them, as I don’t see you enough to monitor you (in my head: 1. You could, just ask! 2. OK, could you tell her about the recommendation please, she is not going to believe it from me, You are the ENT, tell her how to help me! If she knew about this treatment, she would have done it already!). If that doesn’t work then come back and we’ll talk surgery.
At this point he ran out of the room, screaming “nice to meet you” as he went.
Hmmm. Salt water with Hydrogen Peroxide. Ever taste it? Blech! But I will do it. I will do anything to avoid another round with the evil pus-covered tonsils.
I am not even sure how I feel. On one hand, I am relieved, as I DO NOT WANT THE SURGERY and I was very scared he would take one look at my baseball sized tonsils and announce that they must be hacked off on the spot.
On the other hand, I have been gargling salt water and Cepecol forever, to no avail. Maybe Hydrogen Peroxide will be better, I am not sure…but this is a big problem for me and I was really hoping for a more aggressive approach than gargling. I was really hoping to try the long-term anti-biotics route. I know ABX can be hard on the system, but I take them so much for acute tonsillitis that one long term round of them for chronic tonsillitis would really not bother me. I don’t get sick from ABX, so I am up for that. As well, I have done tonnes of research on treatments for recurring tonsillitis, and found nothing about gargling Hydrogen Peroxide as a cure. I have read that it help ease the symptoms and promote healing when the tonsillitis is acute (and I have even tried it) but not that it has had any long-term impact on tonsillitis that keeps coming back.
Oh well, off to gargle again..and inspect myself in the mirror to see if I have an excuse to go visit CD again. He was really really cute. I assume he is rich too…sigh.
Jennifer said,
January 23, 2008 @ 4:43 am
Have you tried a more homeopathic route? He is right about antibiotics, they are the devil. I am sure that it was antibiotics that I was on before the baby was born that caused my immune system to weaken, then I got some sort of infection that overwhelmed my system (like yeast for instance) and it almost killed me.
I haven’t been healthy truly since. I complained to a friend of mine, who turned me onto this stuff:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=7430&at=0
It worked wonders for her and her family.
I would get every cold and flu that came within 15 feet of me, BAD. I was forever tired and weak. Since taking this stuff I haven’t felt this wonderful in a long time. I’ve had one cold (a very minor one) since September, while glen and the girls have had several. Totally worth it.
The infection in your case can be bacterial or viral. Perhaps if you up your immune system it could help greatly.
More here; http://www.naturodoc.com/library/cancer/epicor.htm
Jeannie said,
January 23, 2008 @ 1:52 pm
That is terrible that he spent hardly any time with you. If he only wants to do plastic surgery stuff, then he needs to not see other patients.
I think you need to find another ENT to look at you. I am not an expert, but I don’t think you should be gargling hydrogen peroxide….it doesn’t sound safe….
Get another doctor, one who will take time to really try and help….
CuriosityKiller said,
January 23, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
I think you should seek a second opinion as well. He sounds like he’s just not really paying attention to your problems.
hailea said,
January 24, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
I agree on the second opinion. I don’t know, I wouldn’t want my boobs done by an ENT, and I wouldn’t want my tonsillectomy done by a plastic surgeon.
D said,
January 27, 2008 @ 3:49 am
is the gargle thing working for you???
A second opinion is probably a good idea!
The Blogger said,
January 27, 2008 @ 5:05 am
Thanx for the advise everyone.
Jennifer…I would like to try that supplement, I’ll look into it! I don’t think ABX are the devill, I am glad they exist. There was a time that people died from simple infections (I know of someone that died in the 30s or 40s from an infection he got after he pulled a hair out of his chin!)…they don’t anymore. But, I also don’t think being on them often is good for the body or the immune system, so I guess in retrospect I am glad this doctor wanted me to try something less intrusive first.
Jeannie, gargling diluted HP is safe. I have actually been advised to do it by several doctors when I have had acute tonsillitis, to eat away at the lovely pus blobs…I just never considered doing it between bouts to help keep it from recurring.
So, I am doing the gargle 3X a day like a good girl, and getting used to it. Seeing the bubbling gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, the HP is eating away at the infection. I will keep it up for now, and if the acute tonsillitis returns I will ask for another ENT referral. I may also see a naturopath.
Karen MEG (Pomtini) said,
January 28, 2008 @ 6:42 pm
I wondered if he was who you were talking about before I hit the link!
You won’t believe this, but CD is an old friend of my boy’s best pal’s Dad. He also did an AMAZING nose job for one of hubs friend’s wives. I mean, amazing, you can see her featured on his ads. Unrecognizable. So as far as plastic surgery, I think he’s pretty good.
I think he also works out of York Central as quite a respected ENT. I’m assuming he’s married.
I don’t think it hurts to get a second opinion. Hope the gargling helps…I used to get tonsilitis a lot as a kid, and I can’t imagine having them recur so much!