The rapid strep test came back negative, and based on how my throat looks, the doctor said there's maybe a 50% chance the culture will come back positive. So she wants me to start antibiotics and then if the culture comes back negative in 48 hours, I can stop them.

Despite my reluctance to take antibiotics unnecessarily, I'm okay with that, because this just doesn't feel great.

Steph,

I don't know about you, but I have found rapid strep tests to be completely useless. Everytime I've had strep throat as an adult (2-3 times), the rapid strep test showed up as negative.

I have found rapid strep tests to be completely useless.

What my doctor said is, if the rapid test is positive, they're sure it's strep. But if the rapid test is negative, they don't assume it's nothing, so they always send the negatives to be cultured for 48 hours, which is a more rigorous test. So I'll know in 48 hours if it's strep or not.

Based on how my throat looked, and on my symptoms (and the length of symptoms), the doctor told me there was a 50-50 chance it's strep, and to just start the antibiotics today.

I hope all the sick buffistas are feeling better soon!

We went to Stratford Upon Avon today. It was wonderful but exhausting. There are many words one could use to describe the town, but the words "handicap accessible" would not be among them.

Swift healing to all my sick Bitches.

I had recurring strep as a kid, as in I'd get sick every time they took me off the antibiotics. Finally figured out my brother was a carrier.

Man, I nearly blew my top at my crew today. I was ready to set the world on fire on my drive home. Hey, kids, if you want to leave on time, how about you show some hustle at the job site instead of farting around? ISTG, they don't have the sense god gave a grape. I ranted with my neighbor after getting home, and ranted with my roommate after I walked the dog, and now I'm having a drink and feeling much calmer. But some things are gonna CHANGE. I totally felt like that bit from Cosby Himself where his wife is like, "I have had ENOUGH of THIS!!" and shoots lasers from her eyes and shit.

It doesn't help my mood that Frankie seems to have another UTI - he wet the bed again last night and is peeing blood, so he's got to go to the vet tomorrow. And Xusa has barfed up her food two nights in a row because she eats it too fast. And I'm feeling totally insecure again about StW, though better than I was this weekend, fuckyouverymuch PMS.

Anyway! I'm going to take a shower and watch the original Ginger Snaps, I think. After I do some work prep for tomorrow. And by prep I mean things are gonna CHANGE.

Eww eww eww. Frankie growled at Xusa (which he never does, as she is Queen Bitch, and when I went to look, he had a real dead mouse . I was like, "cat toy?" NO. Eww. I sent it to a watery grave. I am so not wanting to deal with those being in my house.

Yikes! Mouses!

Sounds like I'm going to have to add HBIC to my phone contacts, smonster! Go, you!

We have a mouse or mice in the kitchen. We have FOUR CATS and a DOG. Get to work, bitches -- earn your kibble! Our outside cat leaves us mice and birds all the time, but she does't want to stay the night. That'll change when it gets cold, but...

I'm gonna have to get some traps. I'd like to be the kind of person who's all catch and release. But I'm a farm girl at heart. Sorry, mice. Should not have pooped in my silverware drawer.

Live and let live; crap in my silverware drawer and die. And they chewed up my good potholder. Shoulda stayed in the garage, meeces.

(Sorry if animal lovers are upset by this, but I eat meat, and I kill mice in the house.)

I'm back at work today. I don't quite want to be back at work, but while I'm still feeling sick, I'm not feeling quite sick enough to justify staying home, and I've been on the antibiotics long enough that I'm not contagious anymore.

Hil, I hope you get through the day okay and can rest.

Erin, hate to hear that you're dealing with meeces, too. Do what you gotta do.

So, in all the brain whirlwind of last night, I forgot to set my alarm and woke up 15 minutes after I need to leave. Thank god I'd done prep last night and had already planned to have my supvr drive the trailer to site. I called them with a list and got ready and still beat them to site. We'll see how they do while I'm at the vet. Which is where I am now.