how to get your way

ever feel like someone took a vegetable peeler to the inside of your throat?

i have.

i do. this whole weekend.

so i called my doc to see if i could see someone. but it's the weekend and his answering service, though kindly, only took a message. and then i woke up over and over last night in pain. really. that is, pain with a capital p that rhymes with p that stands for pool. called again this morning and replied, no, not quite emergency proportion warranting emergency room time, but extreme discomfort warranting antibiotic. and so the lady was taking my stats to contact the doc and said,

'so, the message is—you have a sore throat.'

whereupon i started crying, full-on 8 am tears, and i sniffed and slurped and hoarsed my reply,

'that makes it sound so incidental. it's not just a sore throat. it's like my throat is on fire and when i swallow it makes my ears ring. there is a problem and i need some help with it.' and then i cried some more.

and guess what happened? doc called me fast, called in meds, and i haven't cried anymore this day.