The Ritz of hospitals!

When I went to the St. Maarten ER to have my mono checked out, they gave me a bag of fluid, hardly payed me any attention, and sent me on my way.

This morning, I woke up completely unable to swallow without being in excruciating pain. I couldn't get any medicine down and I felt like even the smallest sip of water would cause me to aspirate. So, since I had again basically eaten or drank nothing of the past couple of days, I went to the hospital again. The experience this time was wholly different. I felt like I was in a 4 star hotel! First, the tech did a much better job with the IV, and actually used modern IV and blood draw equipment. Then, the doctor actually seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Instead of just giving me a bag of fluid, he gave me two bags of fluid, dexamethasone, toradol, and 4 mg of morphine! They also had pillows and blankets from a heater.

While I left the hospital in St. Maarten feeling largely the same as when i walked in, I left the Anne Arundel Medical center feeling about 100% better. My throat is still sore and my tonsils are still pretty enormous, but at least I can swallow again, and I'm pretty sure I'm about to get some sleep for the first time in a while. I was also given a prescription for Roxicet, which is basically liquid percocet. So, that's taking the edge off. It's amazing how much being in St. Maarten for a while can make you appreciate the little nice things in the US.