2025 Life Logs, Day 03: A Trip to the Community Health Center
Date: Friday, January 3, 2025
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Still Windy; Temp 38, Low 24 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
This saga began in late October with the beginnings of a sinus infection. It wasn’t full blown, but because I was going to be flying to North Carolina, my doctor prescribed an antibiotic. I hoped that would be the end of that. And it was until I got back from North Carolina. That was when I started having some pain just below my left ear. I thought maybe it was a dental issue, but I had a dental cleaning appointment and x-rays and the dentist gave me a clean bill of dental health. I then flew to Puerto Rico and was fine while there, but again on my return I had a sore throat, but only on that left side. That made me think it might be tonsilitis. I used a salt solution to gargle and heat on the neck area and everything was fine over the Christmas week in Maine. But when I got home, the very stiff neck and sore throat on one side only came back. Then, when I woke up this morning, the stiffness and pain from my ear and neck had traveled on to my upper left arm. That prompted me to go the Community Health Center. I arrived at 11:30 and thought I would be home no later than 1 pm. But I barely made it home in time to pick Ollie up at 2:45. I still have absolutely no idea what is causing this, but after a very long interview with the doctor and then an EKG and all sorts of x-rays, I was told that there doesn’t seem to be a cause. I do have postnasal drip, but my tonsils, my esophagus, my heart, and my ears are all fine. After 3 hours, I was prescribed a short term steroid, told to take Claritan, use a nasal spray, and buy a new pillow. Very frustrating, but good to know it doesn’t appear to be anything serious.
