I’m thinking it’s time to have my tonsils and adenoids removed. Throughout my entire life, I’ve had strep throat several times each year. The doctors tell me there are a couple things I could do to prevent catching strep every time it rolls through the community.
The first thing they told me I could do would be to get rid of my dogs. Apparently, dogs have the ability to carry streptococcus, but they aren’t affected by it. They just harbor it and pass it along to other dogs and people.
But that’s a stupid solution. In fact, it’s not a solution at all. I’d sooner give up a body part than get rid of my dog.
Luckily, that’s the other solution. Last time I had strep, my doctor told me that if I had my tonsils or my adenoids removed, it would get rid of the places in the throat where streptococcus bacteria tend to congregate until they build up enough to get me sick. He said they could take my tonsils out and see if that helps, then go back for the adenoids if they need to later.
But this is getting ridiculous. I catch strep if someone so much as says “strep throat.” I’m only on my first round of it this year, which is an improvement – most years I’ve already had it twice by this time. But it’s still getting old. As soon as the waterfowl season’s over for the year, I think I’m going to schedule surgery for both tonsils and adenoids. Might as well have them get it all while they’re in there.
I look forward to a hunting season that isn’t interrupted multiple times by another bout of strep throat. It’s not that I can’t hunt when I have strep, but sitting in a goose blind is just a little more enjoyable when you don’t have a sore throat, a nasty cough and ache all over. Plus I’ll get to eat my weight in ice cream while I’m recovering.
