Strepthroat

As a child I would get horrible tonsil infections about twice per year. I remember going to the doctor in our small Kansas town with my mother and basically begging to have my tonsils out. For some reason, the doctor did not think that I needed to have them out. I have to both loathe and thank the man for doing this.

I have tonsils that are about twice the size of a normal person. While taking a voice and movement class in New York a few years ago, I was forced to participate in an exercise where we all looked at our tongues with compact mirrors. The exercise then progressed to looking into other peoples mouths. This culminated in the teacher having everyone look at my tonsils like I was the modern day equivalent of the Elephant Man.

So, why do I have to thank the man who would not let me have my tonsils out so many years ago? Well, it is my enlarged tonsils that causes these strange sounds to come out of my mouth when I sing, many times sounding much like a muted trumpet.

Why do I loathe the man? Twice a year like clockwork I get strepthroat. My tonsils swell to the point of doctors having to give me steroids to reduce the swelling and keep me from suffocating.

I spent my day today in bed, drinking water and sleeping, occasionally having some theraflu. Last year, my strepthroat hit in the last week of January. This year it's the first week of February. Thank you and Damn you Dr. G for leaving these giant lumps in the back of my throat just begging for infection.