I woke up this morning with a swollen thingy. A quick Google search gave the swollen thingy a name – uvula. It’s that part that hangs from the back of your throat. Mine looked like an angry worm, elongated and red. So much for the 20 minutes I spent trying to clear the imaginary phlegm from my throat.

The Barrington clinic admitted me pretty quickly, probably due to my gagging. Test results confirmed a strep throat. I got a shot of Prednisone, in the butt, to keep the swelling down. “Suzy” the nurse was quite apologetic over the whole episode. The shot wasn’t bad, but it felt like someone hit me with a baseball bat.

Anyhow, here’s the public service announcement part: If you wake up with what seems like phlegm stuck in your throat, check for a swollen thingy before attempting to cough up a body part.