Okay - about that medical thing. About three weeks ago my throat started feeling weird, as if something that I had eaten had gotten stuck. It wasn't painful, just really annoying. This went on for three days. Finally, I grabbed a flashlight and using my toothbrush as a tongue depressor, I took a look at my throat. And to my great surprise, there was something there! A small white object, about the size of a half a kernel of corn, was lodged into the right side of my throat. What the heck…?
I poked at it with the toothbrush, but it wasn't budging. I reversed the brush and tried using the bristles, but that just caused me to gag. We have a set of metal dental tools, but I was afraid that I might hurt myself with those. Then Tom offered up a rubber tipped dental gadget for me to try. I opened up wide, shined the flashlight on my throat and…
It was gone! I guess my poking and prodding was enough to loosen it up and it finally came out and was swallowed. Well good riddance!
Then this past Sunday afternoon I again felt that uncomfortable sensation. Again I grabbed the flashlight and the toothbrush and sure enough - the stupid white bit was there! Now really. What the heck is going on here? This time I decided it was time to see a doctor. I didn't prod at it because I wanted the doctor to see it and diagnose the darned thing.
I made an appointment with an excellent ear, nose and throat doctor for Tuesday morning. (they couldn't fit me in on Monday, sadly) Then Monday evening I took a peek at my throat and the white thing was gone again. Rats! But I decided to see the doctor anyway as I could see where my throat was red and irritated. Maybe he could figure it all out for me.
And he did. I apparently had a tonsillolith, or in layman's terms, a tonsil stone.
Tonsilloliths or tonsil stones are calcifications that form in the crypts of the palatal tonsils. They are also known to form in the throat and on the roof of the mouth. Tonsils are filled with crevices where bacteria and other materials, including dead cells and mucous, can become trapped. When this occurs, the debris can become concentrated in white formations that occur in the pockets. Tonsilloliths are formed when this trapped debris combines and hardens, or calcifies. (read more about it here)
How odd is that? Leave it up to me to get something weird. Ann is enjoying being able to tell people that I have rocks in my head.
So the doctor prescribed an antibiotic and Magic Mouthwash (his own recipe that the pharmacy mixed up for me). He also said if they continue to occur, I may need to have my tonsils removed. I hope it doesn't come to that.
I really don't think it will, because, in the course of discussions this week I found out that Ann's daughter-in-law gets them quite frequently. Then last night I was telling Joy all about it and she gets them too! That's crazy! They don't seem to be particularly harmful, just annoying. I hope that with the prescribed treatment, they will go away and stay away. But based on these two ladies' experience, I'm not feeling that hopeful.
Reminds me of our Utah trip...the cave guide told the kids that if an M&M were dropped in there, it would be the size of a golf-ball in 24 hours. Hmmmm.
Do they cause bad breath? I know that's an insane question. Just wondering.
And what's wrong with a tonsilectomy? You can eat all the ice cream you want, like in Madeline.
Posted by: Denise Baum | July 31, 2009 at 07:40 PM