The right side of my face started swelling after lunch on Wednesday. It diminished a bit, then swelled again after lunch on Thursday. That freaked me out, so I went to Immediate Care for an expert opinion.
Parotitis.
Yeah, that's what I thought, too, but it has nothing to do with parrots. It's a blocked salivary gland, the parotid to be exact. The same gland swells when you have the mumps. Such an attractive look for me! She felt there was a calcification, or stone, blocking the duct.
The nurse practitioner who saw me brought in a colleague to feel my neck; they'd been discussing this VERY THING earlier in the week. Glad to be of service to humankind . . .
Anyway, aside from the HUGE horse-pill antibiotic I was prescribed, I was advised to apply hot compresses, gently massage my face, and suck on lemon drops. The sour stimulates the gland, apparently, and will produce saliva which -- I gather -- will eventually expell the "stone" blocking the gland's duct.
And I worried I wouldn't have anything to say!
Friday, May 27, 2005
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