We spent friday night with family in Jerusalem, celebrating Lishai's 7th birthday (3 days prior).  It was beautiful to see her beaming as they lifted her up in a chair 8 times singing to her (an Israeli tradition). Catching up with cousins I hadn't seen in 11 years, seeing everyone grown with families of their own was a lovely treat.

Woke up in the middle of the night with a pain in my tonsil. By the morning I had severe chills/aches, headache, SORE throat - started to take the oscillo and yin qiao (not my first choice since this is for Wind-Heat manifesting with high fever, sweating, and sore throat and I was clearly in the Wind-Cold stage with no fever, headache, but working with what I had). Dedi's brother, the girl's uncle took them for a fun day of arts and crafts while I slept, slept, slept to no avail. By 4pm, my headache was so bad and still no relief from the symptoms - I took the pain/fever  reliever. After severe sweating - a 4 hour respite. Then the chills came back full force. I knew I must make the 1 hour journey to Tel Aviv where my mother's abode beckoned me with promise of chicken soup, childcare, hospice and love! I took another Israeli pain reliever and made the journey via taxi.

By the next morning, the pain was so severe, and the ache in my joints, lympathic regions- neck, groin, arms, legs - I knew it must be strept (I had this  13 years ago while here in Israel in the army). The white patches on my tonsils had shown up and I knew straight Goldseal tincture on the tonsils (not a yummy treatment) was the only alternative treatment possible. It is illegal to sell it in Israel. So I started antibiotics last night.

Still can't talk yet, hoping for relief in the next 24 hours, definitely feeling better - no body aches, chills, sweated like a devil last night. But those who know me - Queen and advocate of the mighty herbal kingdom - believes in the power of Penicillin and Western Technology. Cause when all else fails - go for the big guns and deal with the aftermath later (yeast infections, lowered immunity, etc. etc.).

BTW - Lishai may have chicken pox...more on that later....cheers!