September 29, 2006
Uvula
The small, fleshy, conical body projecting downward from the middle of the soft palate.
You know...that hangy-down thingy that is not gender-specific, the one between your tonsils, or lack there-of in my case. This thang has been my hell.
After the tonsils were removed, obviously there was pain, along with two craterous, barnacle-growing sorespots. This was expected. But not so anticipated was this horrible feeling of having a huge ball of phegm just at the back of my throat. Right there. A tormenting sensation bugging me. More annoying than can be described without using the words like "limp" and "gag" way too many times.
Now, I didn't know what it was, and I figured coughing was a bad (and painful) idea, but I did so anyway. I wanted the junk out my throat.
Well, it came forward, a huge mass, and splayed itself firmly to the roof of my mouth. I gagged, and poked at it, and finally realized that it was firmly attached. So after an incredulous hover atop the sink, I tossed back my head and gagged it back into place, and went for a well-lit mirror.
My God. I had been trying to cough up my damn uvula. I had no idea the little dangly down things could get so big. It was taking up all of the room my tonsils had vacated, and as if its girth wasn't bad enough, it's length went on indefinitely, disappearing into the cavern of my throat. Anyone's guess, there.
So yesterday, after two days of gagging it back. I called my doc, who told me they hadn't mentioned the whole uvula thing since it only affects one in twenty, and they hated to prescribe steroids unless the swelling was really bad.
Oh, he prescribed them.
And, well, you all know how I love to gross you out, so I've included a pic in the extended entry. The good news is that the steroids were my wonder drug. The uvula swelling is way down. Mucho betta. The bad news is that those barnacle-covered craters are incredibly gross. I think it may even be less appetizing than the before pic.
Anyway, share my pain peeps. (I realize the picture quality is poor; in this instance, you should be thanking me!)
I could not stand that either! I'm glad you got the steroids and are feeling better.
.. good God, woman.... take care of yourself....
Posted by: Eric at September 30, 2006 09:19 AMLordy girl, I thought a uvula was somewhere else!
Posted by: Tracey at September 30, 2006 05:41 PMAlthough I find your uvula disgusting, I am somehow compelled to visit your pic. But that's just me.
Posted by: velociman at September 30, 2006 09:52 PMSeveral years ago, a junior in my high school got his tonsils taken out. Turns out that the older you are, the more dangerous it is to have those things removed. Well, he had a few blood vessels in his throat that would not heal up, they would pop, he'd gush blood out his mouth, and then off to emergency surgery he'd go. He finally made it back to school after two weeks, with a note from his mother- "If blood starts pouring out of J.'s mouth, please call 911, and then my cell phone." We made him sit very quietly for a few days.
Hope you get well soon!
Posted by: holder at October 1, 2006 12:38 PMGah... That looks so painful. I hope there's something that makes it feel better, like ice cream or whiskey.... Get well soon.
Posted by: Libby at October 1, 2006 02:33 PMThat reminds me of some shit that happened on River Street.
Damn...
Cool Runnings!
Posted by: Yabu at October 1, 2006 11:24 PMOr Southern Comfort. Hope you feel better...ouch..who woulda thunk it??? Not nearly so gross as the holes in my head where teeth used to be.
Posted by: Kelly at October 3, 2006 12:09 PMHad my tonsils out at 9.
Wasn't so bad other than my last memory before surgery was saying "You lied to me" after they said the anaesthesia smelled like strawberries--it didn't.
What you have to look forward to:
Every doctor you ever see from now on will make the revelatory remark "You've had your tonsils out" every time they ask you to say "Ahhh."
Every time I have to stop myself from saying something akin to: "Wow, I wasn't aware of that. What other pearls of knowledge can you give me, oh wise one?"
Somehow they think I have forgotten the trip to the hospital and the removal of a part of my body.
Posted by: Circe at January 18, 2007 01:59 PMThanks for sharing your experience. I just had my first surgery (for an Achilles tendon) and my uvula is bothering the heck out of me. I didn't know what it was at first, but learned that when you are face down with a breathing tube in your throat, as I was, these complications are not unusual. They say the swelling is supposed to go down in a few days. I hope so. There is nothing like having a piece of flesh hanging down the back of your throat and rubbing the back of your tongue. Thanks for the pics, too, and I know the rest of you looks way better than your uvula :-)
Jim
Posted by: Jim at February 28, 2007 03:48 PM
HammerHead
