i've developed a greater respect for tonsilitis.

waking up in the middle of the night because both of my tonsils have become painfully inflamed isn't something i could easily laugh off. also, being able to swallow one's saliva without second thought is something i've developed an appreciation for; having to get out of bed and walk to the toilet to spit isn't fun.

"ay!" i caught the doctor's exclamation when she saw my tonsils. apparently, at that time, the right tonsil was already really swollen. some hours later, both sides of my throat are painful and i had to contact work to ask for another day off (the headache, pain in my sinus, and general feeling of coming down with a fever did not help make things better).

the last time i went on sick leave, it was because of pain in my hip area that was conveniently close to my butt and which prevented me to walk properly. this time it's a throat infection. i think i could see the gay jokes coming my way when i get back to work.

"so this means i can't have my wisdom teeth extracted yet?"

"denitely not," the doctor replied. "the infection could spread and you might develop an abcess at the base of your jaw."

that nearly topped it all. not only will i have to endure painful tonsils; i also need to endure the pain caused by my teeth for at least another week.

but what really clinched things was when in went to the drug store to buy my meds: the pharmacist told me all 14 tablets of antibiotics cost almost PhP 1400 (a tablet cost PhP 90+). wtf. it's almost as expensive as the meds i had to take when i had my hip muscles sprained. in the end, i found another brand of the same antibiotic that's half the price of the meds in my prescription.

of course, there's also the adjustments to my diet, what with swallowing solid food a rather serious challenge at this point.

i never thought a common illness (though acute) could give me so much trouble.