I was discharged from the hospital on Friday, after spending two nights in the ICU and three nights in the normal medical ward. That sounds like a long time and felt like even longer--in the U.S. I think I would have been kicked out after two or three days total. After my visit with the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist on Monday, I woke up on Tuesday able to actually swallow without any soreness, and immediately started eating, although my appetite isn't close to what it was before this all started last week.

Getting checked out on Wednesday had the added benefit that I was able to receive a visit from my former college roommate, Josh Sklar, who now lives with his family in Singapore. And if I thought my health issues were bad, you don't even want to hear about what Josh and his family have gone through over the years. It did help put things in perspective.

Unfortunately, the sore throat seems not to have gone away entirely, and as I type this on Saturday, I'm afraid I'm having a bit of a relapse on the tonsillitis front. I had a lot of difficulty sleeping last night and while I was able to eat some veggies and rice for lunch, simple swallowing has become painful again. I'm going to have to visit the mall and see if I can find some soup for dinner, and maybe a smoothie (the only way to eat a banana).