No Voice

7th January (Wednesday) - Aaaack, aaahh,  eeeeeeee, ooooooo, na-da. Nope, no voice. Darn it, is my URTI that bad? I don't have fever, my nose isn't running much anymore, but I get a really bad sore throat til my voice is nothing but a whisper. I can talk, but only in whispers, and sometimes my voice will just fade. Which means no establishing rapport with patients for today.
Seeing me struggle with my throat, everyone attempted to give me advice. How sore throats are cured with cold diet, like ice cream, 100 plus. The MO on the other hand, said I should take juice rich in Vitamin C, and something hot like soup or broth, even asking me to gargle and take honey, I did all of the above except the cold diet part. I though sore throat means having a lot of phlegm in your throat and the only way to get it out is to use hot stuff, like Milo, coffee, tea, soup. I never expected cold diet, but the senior girls told me to get cold diet, because my throat is slightly swollen and painful. Cold diet like ice cream actually helps to reduce the swelling and pain. But when I asked my Dad, he shouted that I shouldn't listen to them because they are not doctors. I don't know. Both sides are actually right in a way. Cold diet is pleasing to the throat, and it does help reduce swelling, as evidenced by my patients who had underwent throat or nose surgeries. Hot diet actually does help to reduce the phlegm accumulated in the throat, which is why chicken soup is always the best remedy.
In the end, I took warm porridge mixed with Marmite, mini Chipsmore and a Milo packet. Shouldn't be any harm, except I am still unable to taste anything. For the past 3 days, I had absolutely no appetite at all. Mainly, when you had sore throat with thick phlegm and mucus clogging all over your throat and nose, food is the last thing on your mind.
A staff took concern of me and asked me why I never took MC. I mentioned it before, if I took a last minute MC when I'm supposed to be on duty means that I'm taking an 'illegal MC', according to some people. This is already my fifth month, and I cannot afford any screw ups. Because anything I do, it'll be whisked away into the file and I wouldn't even see it until my next evaluation.
No voice aside, I managed to give proper care to the patients. Topping up hydration for chemos, blood transfusion, taking patient back form OT, yep, no trouble at all. I maybe unable to speak, but that's what papers are for. :)