I've Got Mumps

[tshort]

I went to the doctor today thinking I had strep throat because my roomate has had it.

I told the doctor I believe I have strep throat. After about 4 seconds of examination, the doctor (at the university student health center) told me "you have mumps. You're actually the first patient I've personally treated this summer, but there have been a couple people per week". She then let me know there's nothing I can do other than feel like [censored] for up to 10 days.

She then gave me some surgeon masks to cover up my disease spreading mouth and nose. On the way out, I was able to stop at a desk with a sign that said "Mumps Patient Checkout," where I was entered into a database for the recent mumps outbreak.

You can usually tell if you have mumps if you look anything like this:




My neck isn't too bad, but certainly noticeable. I have had the MMR vaccine twice in my life. I'm at my parent's house now in quarantine for a week. Currently, I have flu-like symptoms and a sore neck. Worse case, my testicles could swell. In very rare cases, men with mumps can become sterile, although it's usually with old people.

Anyway, my monitors are going next to my bed and I'll play poker all week.

For anyone who is in college, getting the vaccine again might not be a bad idea.