Very helpful online symptom checker and surprisingly quick call back service.
I write currently ill and off work - have been since yesterday.
On Monday evening I started to get a sore throat and by the time I went to bed it was even worse.
In the morning I was in a lot of pain and looking in the mirror at my throat I could that the back of my mouth was all red and swollen and I could see a white lump on my tonsil on my right hand side.
I tried to get an appointment with my Doctor, but whilst I was waiting and being told by the automated voice from the surgery telephone that I was 8th in line, I completed a ‘Signs & Symptoms’ online form via the NHS Direct website. This told me that I could request a call back within 2-5hrs, so I clicked yes and really surprisingly within the next 20 minutes someone was ringing my mobile!
I had got down to “You are currently number 3 in the queue”, so decided I’d speak with NHS first and see what they thought before pursuing an appointment with my Doctor. I am glad that I did as straight away I was informed not to bother to go to my GP for these days they do not even prescribe antibiotics for sore throats. I should take paracetomol and drink hot drinks to help burn off the infection.
I wasn’t even advised to take the day off work, but told if I felt fine, which I did other than a very painful sore throat, and I didn’t spit, sneeze or cough over anyone, I wasn’t a public health risk! So I rang work and discussed it with management and decided to go in for the day as physically I was completely fine, and I have access to hot drinks at work (we have a kettle in our office and Earl Grey Tea* - which is my favourite).
I did end up sneezing a lot and feeling a bit under the weather by the time I left the office that evening. When I was home, about 8pm I started to get a runny nose and then cold like symptoms, headache followed and I felt very sorry for myself. Also, what made it all worse was that I wasn’t able to sleep at night as my nose was blocked.
In the monring, after a very restless night I rang work and had to admit I couldn’t come in today. I spent the whole day in bed apart from getting up to make a hot cup of soup (Cauliflower and Broccoli). Poor little dog Tess didn’t get to go out for a walk at all!
However, last night I managed to sleep a little better, but still felt awful. Today I am feeling slightly better and more alert. Still blowing my nose every few minutes though. Fingers crossed I will be fit to go in tomorrow.
* As I have had a lot of time on my hands during the day today I have been looking up Earl Grey Tea and it has a number of health benefits linked to it. I discovered that amongst other things that might be attributed to drinking tea, Earl grey tea may help me to enhance my immune system and fight viruses that are causing my cold! That’s handy that I like drinking it then!
**********
Update - Friday 9th July:
Went back to work today as was feeling much better! (Must have been all that Earl Grey!)