Another trip to the doctor for me

I went back to the doctor today. Ever since I had strep throat a couple of weeks ago, I've had an ongoing problem with a sore throat. I wake up in the morning and I'm fine. By noon, it has started hurting again...EVERYDAY. By nighttime, I can barely swallow and my tonsils are badly swollen. I go through this cycle every single day.

I thought at first that perhaps it was the abundance of pollen this year. I was taking my usual Claritin, but I was still having allergy symptoms (nasal congestion, itchy eyes, etc.) So I added Zyrtec to my regimen. This has tamed my allergy symptoms, but hasn't affected my sore throat at all. I've had two rounds of penicillin-based antibiotics already.

Today, my doctor was just baffled. He said he has no idea what's wrong with me, but he doesn't think it's an infection of any kind. Regardless, he put me on another antibiotic just in case. He also suggested that I might have reflux. WTH? I have no reflux symptoms whatsoever. He also suggested that reflux was the source of my chest discomfort back in February that landed me in the hospital on the cardiac floor for a day...when they never found anything wrong with me. So, he put me on Nexium too. And I'm being sent to an ENT to do further testing.

I have been so sick this winter! You'd think I would've been not as sick since I quit smoking last June, but it hasn't worked that way. I've had bronchitis, pneumonia, the swine flu, the seasonal flu, numerous sinus infections, strep throat, and ear infections. I'm ready to be well again!